"A writer needs an 'ear' as much as a musician does," wrote Sydney J. Harris. "And without this ear, he is lost and groping in a forest of words, where all the trees look much alike."
Harris himself had an ear for words. From the 1940s to the 1980s, his column "Strictly Personal" ran five days a week in hundreds of American newspapers. Harris's short essays were playfully erudite and--in his "antics with semantics"--often concerned with the connotative power of words.
For the complete article, go to The Connotative Power of Words: Sydney J. Harris on Synonyms and Connotations.
Comments
Excellent stuff. This is what modern (wo)man must realize in today society, its language and information vs propaganda..
Language is a sword. You need a shield.
Bravo Sydney
Highlighters are an excellent way to distinguish propaganda from reporting. In an article, color one viewpoint blue, the other pink. Circle emotionally charged words in red ball-point.
Your resulting graphics immediately tell you whether the reporter/author was trying to be even-handed or manipulate your emotions to agree with his/hers.
You agree, right?