Definition of Denotation and Connotation

Denotation is when you mean what you say, literally. Connotation is created when you mean something else, something that might be initially hidden. The connotative meaning of a word is based on implication, or shared emotional association with a word. “Greasy” is a completely innocent word: Some things, like car engines, need to be greasy. But greasy contains negative associations for most people, whether they are talking about food or about people. Often there are many words that denote approximately the same thing, but their connotations are very different. Innocent and genuine both denote an absence of corruption, but the connotations of the two words are different: innocent is often associated with a lack of experience, whereas genuine is not. Connotations are important in poetry because poets use them to further develop or complicate a poem's meaning.

Denotation and Connotation Exercise

Can everything have a connotative meaning? Poets gravitate toward words with strong connotative possibilities because they are so rich with connotative possibility, like leaves falling in autumn (graceful and beautiful, but signifying a kind of death) or roses (undulating and sensual, but don't grab one by the stem). What is the connotation of, say, the following sentence?:

The denotative meaning is simple: a guy drank whiskey and didn’t make much noise. But to get at the connotative meaning, think about the emotional impact of the line, and about the associations you have with these words. Drinking can be celebratory; parties are sometimes accompanied by alcohol. But this man does not seem to be in the company of others. The word "quietly," in association with alcohol, seems to mean "alone." Intensifying this feeling is the fact that "the man" is anonymous to the reader (he isn't "Jack"), and he is drinking whiskey. How might it have been different if he were drinking scotch, a kind of whiskey that is generally associated with sophistication? What if he were drinking a milder, "fun" drink like a piña colada? "Quietly" and "whiskey" allow us to read a connotation into a simple sentence. If a poem makes you feel a certain way, ask yourself why.

INSTRUCTIONS

Look at the following sentences. The words in the list for each sentence denote the same meaning, however they have different connotations. Choose one of the words in the list and then, in the textbox below, write about how the word you chose changes the connotative meaning of the sentence.