For evoking the emotion of the reader, several words or phrases are used, and this choice of words is called emotive language. It can also be called emotional language. Emotive language is totally dependent on word choice. A specific kind of diction or _emotive language_ usage is required for evoking a certain emotion in the reader. Word choice has a great impact on a written text or speech on the reader or listener. It has a profound effect on how the writing or speech would be received. For evoking different reactions of a reader, different kinds of words can be used. Any group of words or individual words which causes an emotional reaction of the reader is an example of emotive language.
· Keep that waste in the trash can
This sentence cannot be considered emotive. This sentence is a command, and it does not evoke any emotion from the reader.
· The waste is recycled as it will save the planet.
This sentence can be considered emotive. It represents an action that would result in an emotional response. Everybody wants to save the planet, and nobody can choose not to recycle the waste as it saves the planet.
An emotive response can result in a reaction.
Effect of emotive language:
Emotive language is used to evoke an effect on the reader or listener. If emotive language is used efficiently, it can result in a certain reaction of the reader or listener. This way of manipulating the reader or listener is a kind of rhetoric. Eventually, emotional language can result in a certain action of the audience.
Emotional language has to be used efficiently as it cannot be overused in the text or speech. It should be used when there is a need to evoke an emotion in the reader. The use of emotional language effectively is very beneficial for the writer or speaker.
In his 1963 civil rights speech, “ I have a dream,” has evoked several emotional responses from the audience using his effective rhetoric. He used emotive language strongly in his speech, and the following text is a part of his speech.
“One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still badly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.”
In this part of the speech, Dr. Martin Luther King has used emotional language to evoke an emotion in the audience. He wanted the audience to feel bothered and unstable. He wanted the audience to respond to his speech and take action in the Civil Rights Movement. So, he explained how an African American’s life is contrasting to a white man’s life.
Conclusion: This article explains emotive language with examples for a better understanding of emotive language usage.
Summary: Emotive language is very useful for writers and speakers to achieve a certain response from the audience. This article explains this concept.
