posted
Writing Prompt: Use a metaphors for a writing prompt to start a story. Best first line.
Chapter 1. Seven
The man was smart and had seven fingers, being from up ahead does that to a person. Seven fingers makes makes my job easy, but makes shaking hands difficult, because which one do I pick, the one with three, or the one with four.
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posted
I found a website that is sympathetic to your definition of "connotation". (https://literarydevices.net/connotation/) They write:
"Metaphors are words that connote meanings that go beyond their literal meanings."
"Irony and satire exhibit connotative meanings, as the intended meanings of words are opposite to their literal meanings."
That implies that the literal meaning of cut is with a knife (or some sharp object), and that cut as an emotional wound gets it's meaning as connotation just like any other metaphor would.
So you are just broadening "connotation" to include all figurative meaning?
And it is not difficult to find definitions that don't fit with your meaning
"A connotation is a commonly understood cultural or emotional association that some word or phrase carries, in addition to its explicit or literal meaning, which is its denotation."
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posted
Synthesis of the many source definitions of connotation realizes a word or phrase began from a practical circumstance, became a denotation, the denotation then used figuratively, culturally, emotionally, became trite cliché, then common idiom, then connotation, afterward, maybe even a connotation replaced a denotation outright.
However, once a word reaches dictionary definition status, albeit connotation, the word's figurative significance is altogether exhausted in and of itself, regardless of the word's once artful persuasive expression.
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However, once a word reaches dictionary definition status, albeit connotation, the word's figurative significance is altogether exhausted in and of itself, regardless of the word's once artful persuasive expression.
She had a million boyfriends.
So that's not hyperbole if most dictionaries have a meaning for "million" roughly equivalent to "a very large number"?
Would readers know whether or not that usage is hyperbole? I wouldn't. They wouldn't stop to look it up.
And whether or not it is hyperbole influences meaning.
Pentagon is given as an example of synecdoche (or metynomy, they aren't sure). It isn't. Whatever other problems it has, it has become a word. So you have a point. But I didn't have to look that up in the dictionary, that's programmed into the lexical architecture of my brain.
That's in the DNA of my soul.
So that's figurative if the metaphorical meaning of DNA is not in the dictionary, and literal if it is in the dictionary?
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posted
A dictionary is simply a compendium of words and their meanings as defined by common usage. It isn't an etymological study of the nature of words. The literal definition of cut as to wound the sensibilities of comes from the 1580's; hardly a recent construct. The meaning to sever connection or relations with comes from the 1630's.
posted
Point-by-point ad nauseam refutations generally evince invalid debate fallacies. However . . .
"She had a million boyfriends." For many auditors, is an impossibility, highly improbable, at least, to persons of reasonable intelligence and overstatement experience.
Other, less patent quantity overstatements include, such as, a year and a day, many hands (a neolithic legacy for an uncountable number), and even patent invalid statements, like everyone does [drugs, (whatever)], when that is unsupported, unproven, and unprovable (syllogism, lacks valid major and minor premises' support, only a conclusion, and the conclusion a petitio principii: assumes the conclusion at the outset, circular logic, begging the question, a fallacy).
Yet dictionaries do define "million," a connotation of overstatement, regardless of overstatement status.
"Pentagon" uses a part to represent the whole; the U.S. Defense Department headquarters' building is a pentagon shape: synechdoche. The term is metonymy if U.S. military command headquarters' activity is meant: an attribute stands for the whole.
DNA's metaphoric uses are a transitional connotation, transitional idiom, transitional cliché. The biology science, taxa, and acronym coined 1948 are yet young to public forums, the agora. Dictionary updates are few and far between, usually once each twenty-five year generation due to generational culture and technology influences. DNA to mean, in the agora, other than the biology science, inherent, built-in, programmed, native, natural, unavoidable, etc., dictionaries have yet to catch up.
The word metaphor is in and of itself an apt example product of the agora processes that evolve and propel language's lively living. A one-size-fits-all agora word for figurative expression -- convenient habit prevails. Across the agora, many use only the one term to mean, broadly, any figurative expression; a few use several dozen figure types and grasp somewhat each's full significances; a very few know and use the gamut and full significances; likewise, a very few know and use none.
Dictionary references are tools and, though comprehensive, are fallible, prone to gaps, outmoded and outdated expressions (archaic), misapprehensions, and over generalizations.
As like a carpenter's claw hammer is apt for woodwork, inapt for masonry, needs a heavier hammer, a small sledge hammer (a half-heavy, two-pounder; stone sculptors, a one-pounder), yet each are hammers, effective expression, too, wants an apt hammer. For some, a jeweler's delicate hammer; for some, a five-pound sledge; for some, a hydraulic-ram jackhammer; for some, no hammer at all, rather, a feather duster. Some would use dynamite. Some would let the stone be as it is. Consequently, rhetoric and the agora know all kinds.
Here, for each and all, to thine self and the self's agora voice or voices, and to the subject matter, the occasion, and the agora audience be true.
posted
pentagon: What is the part and what is the whole?
Hmm, I have a test. Because readers use the metaphorical route from "cut" to emotional injury, it can be modified with words that influence the metaphorical path. Such as "paper cut".
That doesn't work as well for pentagon. "equal-sided pentagon" wouldn't help communication, even though it's more descriptive.
And once the direct route becomes strong enough, the metaphorical route can die. That surely has happened with "boycott". I am pretty sure more people know what the Pentagon is than know the shape of the building.
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posted
A pentagon is the shape of the building, the aerial view, part of the whole. The whole is several above-ground and below-ground stories, plus the command mission, other military missions, staff, personnel, car park, all of its parts, attributes, and associations, though the metonymy alludes to the U.S. military command mission.
A five-sided, five-angled polygon is a pentagon; regular, equal-sided, equilateral, equal-angled, equiangular; irregular, unequal-sided, unequal-angled; simple or complex. A five-point star, points intersected, or pentagram, is a complex pentagon and contains a central pentagon. Speculations and conspiracy theories abound the Pentagon's shape was sinisterly selected.
The word boycott is analogous to ostracize, from ostracon, Greek, a pottery sherd, likewise itself become denotation from a once practical label made figurative, metonymy and synecdoche, respectively, though skipped cliché, idiom, and connotation phases. Charles Boycott, the surname and his misconduct attributes of the whole, metonymy. A physical object, ostracon, a part of it stands for the whole, sherds used for an election to ostracize, synecdoche, though the shun conduct an attribute, metonymy.
Most anyone who studied high school geometry, required for many students, knows the pentagon shape, many may realize nonconsciously or consciously the Pentagon's footprint is a pentagon, or several concentric, regular pentagon shapes.
posted
The shape of the building is a pentagon. Yes. But that isn't a "part", it's a feature or an attribute. We don't say the 5 parts of the spoon are shape, color, weight, size, and the spoon itself.
Is calling someone "shorty" synecdoche? (Assume they are short.) That would be a better example. Is "white" a part and "white house" synecdoche for the whole building?
And this is from Wikipedia, which gives a different answer to my question, "The use of government buildings to refer to their occupant(s) is metonymy and sometimes also synecdoche. "The Pentagon" for the United States Department of Defense can be considered synecdoche, as the building can be considered part of the department."
And from another site, with a different whole: "“Pentagon” is a synecdoche when it refers to a few decision makers."
Um, can we agree that this is not a simple, obvious example? The example has worse problems, but that's the point I'm claiming for now.
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Obvious synecdoche and metonymy distinctions are less common than overlaps. Context might distinguish which, or not. Also, misapprehensions between synecdoche and metonymy are common. Intuition for prose craft might do with either or both, or none, or overlaps or ambiguous or vague ones. Invention of either, like for metaphor and simile, benefits from clear and strong meaning and intent, even serendipitous error as well. Inapt figurative expression forces unnatural associations and weak and vague meaning and intent.
Science fiction, fantasy, and metaphysical horror, the several fantastic genres, are ripe for misapprehended figurative expression, in which the impossible or improbable are real, possible, or probable to the milieu. A common example involves a city bus that travels a circuitous route, alludes to serpents. Paraphrase: The snake bus slithered along serpetine streets. (Poetic figures alliteration and consonance of the S sound associated with snakes' movements.) Metonymy, serpent attributes applied to a vehicle, its activity, and its route. Snake therein means an articulated bus, one or more cars coupled to a driver-attended car. Or does it mean a snake real to the milieu?
A strong and clear, unequivocal example of synecdoche is the nautical command "All hands on deck," in which hands alludes to the parts of the crew most obvious for maritime work. Taxa is a portion of synecdoche, in which a genus stands for a species or vice versa, of the intrinsic classification hierarchy. Or, as the case may be, kingdom, division, class, order, family, genus, subgenus, section, subsection, species, an intrinsic individual identity, or part of an individual stands for another tier of the hierarchy. Likewise hypernym and hyponym hierarchy.
"Bone bag" said by the monster cockroach in Men in Black is synecdoche. "Blood bank" said by blood recipients in Mad Max: Fury Road is synecdoche. Are references to intrinsic parts of the biologic taxa's hierarchy.
If Pentagon references the structure, its location, or an intrinsic physical part or physical activity of the physical place, then synecdoche. What road goes into the Pentagon? If Pentagon references the military headquarters' mission, announcements, or decision-maker persons or spokespersons thereof, then metonymy. Today, the Pentagon announced force reduction plans. If Pentagon references physical activity of, to, and/or _from_ the place and mission, then both. A terse rebuke issued from the Pentagon in response to wayward political maneuvers. Written or spoken, published, physical activity from the place of the military command mission.
"Shorty" for a short person is synecdoche, though the term also alludes to other possibles, some ugly, metonymy and synecdoche: urban slang. "White House" could be synecdoche, metonymy, or both, as for Pentagon.
A clear and strong, unequivocal metonymy, two, actually: "The pen is mightier than the sword." Pen for the attribute of written human thought; sword for the attribute of human violent activity. However, those two are also anacoloutha. A principal taxa consideration for metonymy and anacoloutha or coloutha is hypernym-hyponym relationships of an apt degree of concision for an intended meaning, context, and texture; no relationship, per se, to biology taxa.
"The Pentagon" for the United States Department of Defense can be considered synecdoche, as the building can be considered part of the department.
extrinsic wrote:
However, once a word reaches dictionary definition status, albeit connotation, the word's figurative significance is altogether exhausted in and of itself, regardless of the word's once artful persuasive expression.
If true, no usage of Pentagon as synecdoche is figurative.
As far as I know, the wiki's explanation is also incorrect -- Pentagon does not refer to the U.S. Department of Defense. (Mirriam-Webster: 'the U.S. military leadership"
Almost all definitions refer to parts. It seems misleading to call a feature a part.
All hands on deck also gets a dictionary definition. Nearly all the definitions do. Yes, you can use Pentagon and you are using a synecdote, but the only reason it works is because everyone knows what the Pentagon is. Try
I work at the 5-sided shape."
How far does that synecdoche go.
Which do you prefer?
The population of Kansas is over 300 million. The population of the US is over 300 million.
The synecdoche (using Kansas to represent the US) can "engage" the reader or "catch attention" according to Wiki.
Synecdoche is a small, manageable piece of real-estate. It's a mess, right?
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posted
Synecdoche, in and of itself, is a figure. A word used for synecdoche, any figurative-use word, can lose artful figurative significance and lose appeal through common usage.
"The population of Kansas is over three hundred million." Is a gross factual error, and lacks persuasive design, therefore, inapt.
//The blue jeans and t-shirt country's population numbers three hundred million-plus.// Synecdoche. And periphrasis (Greek term): "The substitution of a descriptive word or phrase for a proper name (a species of circumlocution); or, conversely, the use of a proper name as a shorthand to stand for qualities associated with it." And antonomasia (Latin equivalent): "Substituting a descriptive phrase for a proper name, or substituting a proper name for a quality associated with it." And skotison: "purposeful obscurity." (Ibid.) The scheme of substitution, figures of naming; repetition and amplification schemes often attach, do attach for best practice.
While a factual error, an overstatement, in that some of the country refuses wear of blue jeans and t-shirts, nor exclusive to the country, not to mention tracksuit and athletic leisurewear (paralipsis figure: "Stating and drawing attention to something in the very act of pretending to pass it over. A kind of irony." Ibid), the intent to negatively qualify a common apparel of a country, a "national costume," so to speak, that implies sloth, and that obscures though implies the country's name, outshines the factual error (period figure, periodic sentence). Persuasive emotional and moral social commentary, rhetoric's truest and fullest, most apt functions. Mindful ad hominem appeals to emotion and prejudice are fallacy.
The marsh of it all becomes manageable through study and critical thought.
However, in my experience, the only best-practice occasions when rhetoric knowledge discussion is apt is when questioned about the art and for creative, persuasive expression. Otherwise, talk about rhetoric baffles and angers, except explications for interested individuals' edification and through which like-minded artisans thereof find common and shared belonger grounds.
Me, also, part of my interest is defense against the dark arts of government, commercial, social, and public politics' oppression, and maybe proactive offense through satire. Now -- those former are quite a swamp of rhetoric.
posted
"The population of Kansas is over three hundred million." That was definition-perfect synecdoche. Sorry you missed that. Of course, it breaks the unwritten rule for examples of synecdoche -- the word must have a dictionary definition, because no one is going to understand it as just synecdoche.
I am interesting in giving advice to writers. So, right, the definitions seem like a swamp to me. I have a webpage now on synecdoche, and it starts with a somewhat normal definition, and then the advice and examples are nothing like what I am finding on the internet. (You can trust me on that, but it's here -- http://emmasohan.com/cb/mas.htm
But I took my own advice and loved my new sentence, so it seems like good advice to me. Time will tell, it's a new idea for me and I'm trying to be cautious.
For politics, it is important to distinguish hyperbole from exaggeration. I would say very important. But that's my definition and opinion. You can see how many definitions include exaggeration and then give up on the project.
posted
Example 2 contains a subtle figure, somewhat synecdoche, in that a "broken piece of pretzel" stands for any morsel at all, species for genus, somewhat confused by unintended allusion to a shard of broken glass or similar, though a potent tactile sensation evoked. A //pretzel crumb// (or shard, etc.) is more concise and apt.
"2. I walk around the room in my bare feet, _looking_ [*] for a broken piece of pretzel that might have been left on a table or on the floor." (Bold emphasis of the original, distinguishes the synecdoche figure.)
Example 2 is also somewhat a synecdoche, in that the bare feet do some or all the "looking" perhaps, and the finds of pretzel crumbs. A tactile sensory part of the whole sensory network perceives, though unconventional, likely unintended. A part of the species' sensory system stands for the overall sensory genus. See by touch! Tactile sensation substituted for or added to visual sensation.
[*] Similar to catachresis: "The use of a word in a context that differs from its proper application." (Ibid.) Catachresis examples: "As one said that disliked a picture with a crooked nose, 'The _elbow_ of his nose is disproportionable' —J. Smith". "In his rage at Gertrude, Hamlet nearly became a _parricide_ like his uncle." "He was foolish enough to order the new music CD _sight unseen_." "The podcast included a _soundseeing_ tour of London's theatre district." (Ibid.) Why are so many politicians _tone deaf, sublimity dumb, and brain blind_!?
Recast for clarity, firmness, strength, consistent tense, compound predicates, and concision enhancements -- demonstration: //2. Barefooted, I walked around the room, looked for a pretzel _shard_ left on a table or the floor.// (Preserves the potent tactile sensation evoked and, obviously, now intentional.)
posted
Thanks. If my example was synecdoche . . . I reframed that webpage.
Synecdoche can occur (apparently) from using a feature to indicate the whole, a part to indicate the whole, or a instance to indicate the whole category. I'm not sure how much you can say about them as a whole, but it's possible to talk about them individually.
The instance of a group (my webpage topic) is interesting because there's things I can say about it. For example, it's a figurative expression but at the literal level it's true.
It almost always replaces something abstract with something concrete. Replacing car with wheels is replacing concrete with concrete. I mean, if the part is concrete, so is the whole.
And it can handle two instances.
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The Synecdoche page now entails valid, erudite, concise enough explication of synecdoche for the context and texture (Context: who, when, where; Texture: what, why, how -- broadly).
A portion or two awkwardly strains reach, yet those are subtext contrast to confident, overt portions, that, altogether, express wonderment and awe for the beauty, truth, and goodness of apt expression, the difficult intellectual, emotional, moral challenges of rhetoric confronted, realized, satisfied.
Overt personal demonstration context, private emotional subtext texture, and intimation of deeper, covert moral subtext texture, in apt order of cognitive organization (overt, liminal, subliminal; conscious, subconscious, nonconscious) and degree of realization access. Sublime.
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