on Writing Forward site:
Most people go through life using language haphazardly. That’s how we get words like irregardless, which has the exact same meaning as regardless.
But writers, and especially poets, don’t have the luxury of throwing words around. Clear and compelling prose and verse demand that we pay due diligence to the words we choose. We look for the most precise and accurate words available to express any given idea.
Words have two basic meanings: denotation and connotation. Let’s find out the difference between the two and look at how we, as writers, can use denotation and connotation to strengthen our prose and verse.
Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog 