{"id":8303,"date":"2013-10-29T19:49:39","date_gmt":"2013-10-29T19:49:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/?page_id=8303"},"modified":"2026-03-26T09:53:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T14:53:15","slug":"express-feelings","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/express-feelings\/","title":{"rendered":"Emotional Language in Literature"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t<div id=\"mmDeferVideoEncompass_4Lqb1y90FmI\" style=\"position: relative;\">\n\t\t\t<picture>\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\">\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> \n\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"eager\" id=\"videoThumbnailImage_4Lqb1y90FmI\" data-source-videoID=\"4Lqb1y90FmI\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" alt=\"Emotional Language in Literature Video\" height=\"464\" width=\"825\" class=\"size-full\" data-matomo-title = \"Emotional Language in Literature\">\n\t\t\t<\/picture>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<style>img#videoThumbnailImage_4Lqb1y90FmI:hover {cursor:pointer;} img#videoThumbnailImage_4Lqb1y90FmI {background-size:contain;background-image:url(\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/860-emotional-language-in-literature-2.webp\");}<\/style>\n\t\t\t<script defer>\n\t\t\t  jQuery(\"img#videoThumbnailImage_4Lqb1y90FmI\").click(function() {\n\t\t\t\tlet videoId = jQuery(this).attr(\"data-source-videoID\");\n\t\t\t\tlet helpTag = '<div id=\"mmDeferVideoYTMessage_4Lqb1y90FmI\" style=\"display: none;position: absolute;top: -24px;width: 100%;text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic;font-size: small;border-top: 1px solid #fc0;\">Having trouble? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v='+videoId+'\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to watch on YouTube.<\/a><\/span><\/div>';\n\t\t\t\tlet tag = document.createElement(\"iframe\");\n\t\t\t\ttag.id = \"yt\" + videoId;\n\t\t\t\ttag.src = \"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/\" + videoId + \"?autoplay=1&controls=1&wmode=opaque&rel=0&egm=0&iv_load_policy=3&hd=0&enablejsapi=1\";\n\t\t\t\ttag.frameborder = 0;\n\t\t\t\ttag.allow = \"autoplay; fullscreen\";\n\t\t\t\ttag.width = this.width;\n\t\t\t\ttag.height = this.height;\n\t\t\t\ttag.setAttribute(\"data-matomo-title\",\"Emotional Language in Literature\");\n\t\t\t\tjQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoEncompass_4Lqb1y90FmI\").html(tag);\n\t\t\t\tjQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoEncompass_4Lqb1y90FmI\").prepend(helpTag);\n\t\t\t\tsetTimeout(function(){jQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoYTMessage_4Lqb1y90FmI\").css(\"display\", \"block\");}, 2000);\n\t\t\t  });\n\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t\n<p><script>\nfunction SQy_Function() {\n  var x = document.getElementById(\"SQy\");\n  if (x.style.display === \"none\") {\n    x.style.display = \"block\";\n  } else {\n    x.style.display = \"none\";\n  }\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"moc-toc hide-on-desktop hide-on-tablet\">\n<div><button onclick=\"SQy_Function()\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/toc2.svg\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"show or hide table of contents\"><\/button><\/p>\n<p>On this page<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<nav id=\"SQy\" style=\"display:none;\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#What_is_Emotive_Language\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">What is Emotive Language?<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Emotive_Language_in_Literature\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Emotive Language in Literature<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Review_Questions\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Review Questions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"accordion\"><input id=\"transcript\" type=\"checkbox\" class=\"spoiler_button\" \/><label for=\"transcript\">Transcript<\/label>\n<div class=\"spoiler\" id=\"transcript-spoiler\">\n<p>Whether it\u2019s an advertisement, a play, or a novel, writers use emotive language to make us feel strong emotions and maybe even persuade us to do something. Today we\u2019re going to discuss the best ways to incorporate emotive language in our writing and see what effects this can have on the reader.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"What_is_Emotive_Language\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>What is Emotive Language?<\/h2>\n<p>\nSo what exactly is \u201cemotive language\u201d? Emotive language is the use of descriptive words, often <a class=\"ylist\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/what-is-an-adjective\/\">adjectives<\/a>, that can show the reader how an author or character feels about something, evoke an emotional response from the reader, and persuade the reader of something. <\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s important to remember that emotional language is biased \u2013 this means though the language is descriptive and may make the text easier to understand, the words are either subtly or overtly attempting to sway our opinion of something. <\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Example_1\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Example #1<\/h3>\n<p>\nLet\u2019s look at an example of emotive language.<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\">The defenseless wolf was violently attacked by the gruesome bear.<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nIn this example, we can see a lot of descriptive words that evoke emotion. <em>Defenseless wolf<\/em> is a phrase that is emotional because it makes the reader sympathize with the wolf. <em>Violently<\/em> and <em>gruesome<\/em> are other words that are emotional because they paint the bear as an aggressive and scary predator. <\/p>\n<p>Now, what if this same story was told without emotional language?<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\">The wolf was attacked by the bear.<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nWithout the emotional language, the reader may not feel as bad for the wolf because they don\u2019t see it as weak and defenseless. You may also not feel very afraid of the bear because it is not being described as gruesome or violent. That is the power of emotional language. <\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Example_2\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Example #2<\/h3>\n<p>\nLet\u2019s look at another example of how emotive language can have different <a class=\"ylist\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/denotation-and-connotation\/\">connotations<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\">He is very social and talkative.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 0em;\">He is always in people\u2019s business.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nIn the first example, to be social and talkative can be seen as a positive thing. However, the second example uses the phrase always in peoples\u2019 business, which has a more negative connotation.<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\">She is meticulous.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 0em;\">She is a micromanager.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nAgain, here the word <em>meticulous<\/em> can be a positive trait for a person to have. You may want a meticulous partner in your group project\u2014someone who is thorough and takes care of any loose ends. In contrast, most people don\u2019t like having a micromanager looking over their shoulder all the time. <\/p>\n<p>That is why it is important for authors to be careful about the words they use to describe characters and settings; it can draw either a positive or negative impression on the reader without even trying.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Emotive_Language_in_Literature\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Emotive Language in Literature<\/h2>\n<p>\nLike I mentioned before, emotional language is used in all types of writing. Typically, however, emotional language is best used in texts where the author is giving a personal account of something. Narrators are ideal voices for using emotional language because they typically are speaking from their own perspective. <\/p>\n<p>Here is an example of a character from Tiffany McDaniel\u2019s novel <em>The Summer That Melted Everything<\/em>, where she uses emotional language to convince the reader of her opinion of suffering.<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\u201cPeople always ask, Why does God allow suffering? Why does He allow a child to be beaten? A woman to cry? A holocaust to happen? A good dog to die painfully? Simple truth is, He wants to see for Himself what we\u2019ll do. He\u2019s stood up the candle, put the devil at the wick, and now He wants to see if we blow it out or let it burn down. God is suffering\u2019s biggest spectator.\u201d<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nIn this excerpt, the author uses emotional language like <em>beaten<\/em>, <em>cry<\/em>, <em>painfully<\/em>, and other rhetorical devices like questions, parallels, and metaphors to paint a dark image in the readers\u2019 heads about free will and God. The author ultimately is using emotional language to persuade the reader to share her beliefs about God allowing humans to suffer.<\/p>\n<p>Poetry is arguably the most popular means of expressing emotions through descriptive words. Here\u2019s an excerpt from Shakespeare\u2019s <em>Sonnet 18<\/em>:<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\">Shall I compare thee to a summer\u2019s day?<br \/>\nThou art more lovely and more temperate:<br \/>\n\u2026<br \/>\nAnd every fair from fair sometime declines,<br \/>\nBy chance or nature\u2019s changing course untrimm&#8217;d;<br \/>\nBut thy eternal summer shall not fade,<br \/>\nNor lose possession of that fair thou ow\u2019st;<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nHere, Shakespeare uses emotional language to compare his love interest to a summer day that will never fade away. From the second line of the sonnet he uses words like lovely and temperate to describe this person and argue that they are even better than the best day of summer you could experience.<\/p>\n<p>Okay, before we go, let\u2019s go over a quick review of what we\u2019ve learned.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2><span id=\"Review_Questions\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Review Questions<\/h2>\n<p>\nWhich is not an example of emotional language?<\/p>\n<ol style=\"list-style: upper-alpha;\">\n<li>In a drunken stupor, she fell down a flight of stairs.<\/li>\n<li>She intentionally fell down a flight of stairs.<\/li>\n<li>She fell down a flight of stairs.<\/li>\n<li>The clumsy girl fell down a flight of stairs.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div style=\"text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><button class=\"buttontranscript\" onClick=\"toggle('Answer1')\">Show Answer<\/button><\/div>\n<div id=\"Answer1\" style=\"display:none; box-shadow: 1.5px 1.5px 5px grey; background-color:#E0E0E0; padding: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px; width: 60%; margin: auto; text-align: center;\">\n<strong>If you picked C, you\u2019re correct!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">C is the only example that doesn\u2019t use emotional language that influences the reader\u2019s perspective of the girl and how she fell.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nThat\u2019s all for this review! Thanks for watching, and happy studying!<\/p>\n<ul class=\"citelist\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/writingexplained.org\/grammar-dictionary\/emotive-language\"target=\"_blank\">\u201cWhat Is Emotive Language? Definition, Examples of Emotional Language.\u201d n.d. Writing Explained<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.grammar-monster.com\/glossary\/emotive_language.htm\"target=\"_blank\">\u201cEmotive Language | What Is Emotive Language?\u201d n.d.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/work\/quotes\/46061361-the-summer-that-melted-everything\"target=\"_blank\">\u201cThe Summer That Melted Everything Quotes by Tiffany McDaniel.\u201d n.d.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.poetryfoundation.org\/poems\/45087\/sonnet-18-shall-i-compare-thee-to-a-summers-day\"target=\"_blank\">Shakespeare, William . 2019. \u201cSonnet 18: Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer\u2019s Day?\u201d Poetry Foundation<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"home-buttons\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/reading-comprehension\/\">Return to Reading Comprehension Videos<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\nfunction toggle(obj) {\n          var obj=document.getElementById(obj);\n          if (obj.style.display == \"block\") obj.style.display = \"none\";\n          else obj.style.display = \"block\";\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Return to Reading Comprehension Videos<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":99955,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-8303","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"page_category-reading-comprehension-videos","7":"page_category-video-pages-for-study-course-sidebar-ad","8":"page_type-video","9":"subject_matter-english"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8303","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8303"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8303\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":260731,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8303\/revisions\/260731"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99955"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}