Read the following selection from William WordsworthвЂ™s well loved poem, I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud: He does not use words that suggest that these are merely ideas, but rather, he uses words and phrasing that directly state what contemplation is. He also explains that of all human activity, contemplation is the one we are capable of doing continuously. For example, in AristotleвЂ™s critical work Nichomachean Ethics, he explains the value of contemplation- ontemplation is both the highest form of activity (since the intellect is the highest thing in us, and the objects that it apprehends are the highest things that can be known), and also it is the most continuous, because we are more capable of continuous contemplation than we are of any practical activity.ДЄristotle describes contemplation in terms of what he believes is its literal function in the human mind. When a philosopher presents a philosophy or principle, he asserts it in terms of what he knows or has decided to be true-he makes statements rather than suggestions. Philosophical works rely on the denotative meaning of words and phrases when defining principles, ethics, or moral law. ExamplesВ ofВ DenotationВ in Literature Example 1 If we only wrote using denotative meaning, all writing would be dull, colorless, and very straightforward. However, in literature and in everyday language, a wordвЂ™s denotation is often less central than its universal connotation, which allows writers to be more creative and expressive with their thoughts. However, without the picture, we would understand this phrase by its connotative meaning, which is to mistakenly pursue the wrong thing.ДЄ word or phraseвЂ™s denotation is what we would find in the dictionary, so it is important for one main reason-it provides clear, literal definition.

The caption reads: You are barking up the wrong tree, Buddy! Here, the joke lies in the phraseвЂ™s denotative meaning-the dog is literally barking up the wrong tree, because the cat is in the other tree. In another example, imagine a drawing with two trees-in one tree is a cat, and at the bottom of the other tree is a dog barking. However, we understand this sentence by its connotative meaning, which is that Susie is sad. If we understand this second sentence by its denotative meaning, it would mean that Susie is literally the color blue. We understand this sentence by its denotative meaning-it describes the literal color of the fruit.

Example 1ДЇor example, denotation of the word вЂњblueвЂќ is the color blue, but its connotation is вЂњsadвЂќ-read the following sentence: In other words, denotation is a wordвЂ™s вЂњdictionary definitionвЂќ rather than its associated emotion or definition.ДЄs mentioned above, a wordвЂ™s denotation is understood as in contrast with its connotation. A wordвЂ™s denotation is completely absent of emotion, so it is defined as distinguished from its connotation (its associated meaning). The term comes from the late Latin Latin denotationem meaning вЂњindication,вЂќ and is contrasted with connotation. Denotation (pronouncedВ dee-noh- tey-sh uh n) is a wordвЂ™ or thingвЂ™s literal or main definition.

Cloud nine meaning and literary devices