semantics: the branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words, their historical and psychological development, their connotations, and their relation to one another
"The moon, too, which had long been climbing overhead, and unobtrusively melting its disk into the azure-like an ambitious demagogue, who hides his aspiring purpose by assuming the prevalent hue of popular sentiment-now began to shine out, broad and oval, in its middle pathway."
-The House of the Seven Gables
by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Hawthorne's word choice here has multiple affects. It is symbolic of the youth and light (hope) of the new ideas the young lovers have; the descriptive language is characteristic of a romance and helps the reader envision the scene. Hawthorne casts the two characteristics in the light even at night, showing their potential and hope. The descriptions of the scene provide the reader with a mental image and help accentuate the role of nature as true. Hawthorne is letting the reader experience the scene while communicating the role's of Holgrave and Phoebe as the hero and heroine.
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