![]() “Purple prose” is often used as an insult for highly lyrical or complex language that some readers dislike. What passes for hip cynical transcendence of sentiment is really some kind of fear of being really human, since to be really human is probably to be unavoidably sentimental and naïve and goo-prone and generally pathetic. Likewise, David Foster Wallace’s writing may be difficult to decipher due to its density, but it’s certainly not devoid of meaning: One feels even in the midst of the traffic, or waking at night, Clarissa was positive, a particular hush, or solemnity an indescribable pause a suspense (but that might be her heart, affected, they said, by influenza) before Big Ben strikes. Rather, it contributes to her signature stream-of-consciousness narrative style: Her consistently elaborate prose doesn’t detract from the story. So for example, the language Virginia Woolf uses in her books is flowery, but that doesn't mean it's purple. Purple prose specifically refers to overblown description that fails to add to the text, or may even detract from it. This is a common misconception, perpetuated by diehard fans of minimalism and Ernest Hemingway. To clarify, the term “purple prose” doesn’t just automatically apply to any kind of dense or elaborate language. Purple prose is like that: beautiful from afar, with very little substance to it. From a distance it looks convincing, even impressive - but as you draw closer, you realize there’s nothing behind it. Think of purple prose as a cardboard cutout of a celebrity. Purple prose doesn't always persist throughout the entirety of a piece - it can also pop up every so often in “purple patches” - but even a few "purple passages" can be disruptive. ![]() She pondered whether it would behoove her to request that she continue to follow him on his noble mission… It was filled with an expression as enigmatic as receding shadows in the night. The mahogany-haired adolescent girl glanced fleetingly at her rugged paramour, a crystalline sparkle in her eyes as she gazed, enraptured, upon his countenance. Its typical features include excessive adjectives, exaggerated metaphors, multisyllabic words, long sentences, and elaborate descriptions of a character’s inner thoughts and feelings.įor writers attempting to use poetic language, accidentally purple patches are a common problem as they slow a book’s pace, muddle the plot, and create an unintended melodramatic tone that reduces the power of the work. ![]() Purple prose is a style of writing characterized by overly flowery language that tends to draw attention to itself, and away from the story being told.
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