Joy of Words

by Amanda Cass                                                                      

Enrich the poetry of your prose by applying words that provide precise connotations while also evoking emotional responses and musicality.

Discover the interrelationship of attractive words in sensations, impressions, and emotions. Try enunciating these words in a gruff voice. Emphasize joy in negative words. Do their sounds suggest quality, or does their meaning determine their effect?

Beguile: deceive
Caprice: impulse
Cascade: waterfall
Cinnamon: an aromatic spice; its soft brown color
Coalesce: unite, or fuse
Enrapture: delight
Filament: thread, strand
Penumbra: shade, shroud, fringe
Sapphire: rich, deep bluish purple
Sphere: ball, globe
Susurration: a whispering
Vestige: trace

Cacophony: confused noise
Cataclysm: flood, catastrophe, upheaval
Chafe: irritate, abrade
Cynic: distrustful, self-interested person
Disgust: aversion, distaste
Grimace: expression of disgust or pain
Harangue: rant
Shriek: sharp, screeching sound
Shun: avoid, ostracize

CREATIVE WRITE:  Freewrite using words from top to bottom to play with the musicality of words and their meanings. Discover connections and new directions.