Writing Without Limits: Understanding the Lyric Essay

lyric essay definition

In literary nonfiction, no form is quite as complicated as the lyric essay. Lyrical essays explore the elements of poetry and creative nonfiction in complex and experimental ways, combining the subject matter of autobiography with poetry’s figurative devices and musicality of language. For both poets and creative nonfiction writers, lyric essays are a gold standard…

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What is Purple Prose? The Case Against Overly Ornate Writing

writing purple prose

Ah, purple prose: that ornate room of language: that jeweled scabbard with which the writer unsheaths their mightiest thoughts, decorated and aglitter in the light of passing eyes; so wrought with its own exigence, it twists the reader’s mind, so labyrinthine. If you didn’t understand that paragraph, I didn’t either. It’s not good writing, but…

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Writing Styles: What is Style in Writing?

writing style

Writing styles may be hard to define, but something separates Hemingway from Steinbeck, Atwood from LeGuin, or Keats from Wordsworth. Though two given writers might dwell on similar themes, every writer expresses a unique writing style, conveyed through elements like word choice, narrative structure, and the author’s own voice. But what is style in writing?…

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Common Rhetorical Devices List: The Art of Argument

common rhetorical devices list

Rhetorical devices are techniques in writing and speech that try to persuade the audience. A rhetorical device uses language to shape ideas into arguments, convincing the reader through a plethora of literary strategies. Why study rhetorical devices? Understanding how writers wield words to persuade you will help you read critically and carefully. And, if you’re…

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Parallelism Definition: Writing With Parallel Structure

what is parallelism in literature?

Parallelism, or parallel structure, describes a type of sentence structure common in the English language. When poets and prose stylists effectively employ grammatical parallelism, they strengthen the connections between ideas and objects, embedding relationships in syntax. It might seem silly to write an entire article on a singular sentence structure. Writing parallelism certainly isn’t difficult,…

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What is Mood in Literature? Creating Mood in Writing

what is mood in literature?

When we talk about the different feelings that a work of writing evokes, we’re talking about the types of mood in literature. Creative writers are experts at drawing out specific sensations in their writing. When a poem or story leaves you feeling elated, nervous, hopeful, melancholy, or any other particular emotion, then the writer has…

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