Defining the Grateful Gesture

Denotation is the dictionary definition of a word; connotation is the suggested or implied meaning associated with the word. A word can have a positive or a negative connotation, or no connotation. For example, thin, gaunt, and slender all have the same denotation, but they have different connotations. The word thin is more or less neutral, gaunt has a negative connotation, and slender has a positive connotation. Understanding the connotations of words can help you appreciate the various layers of meaning in poetry. Write down two or three words from the poem and explain the denotations and connotations of the words and how the connotations create or reinforce meaning in the poem.