Prosaic

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Dr. Goodword
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Prosaic

Postby Dr. Goodword » Mon Mar 23, 2015 9:54 pm

• prosaic •

Pronunciation: pro-zay-ik • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Adjective

Meaning: 1. Having the characteristics of prose as opposed to poetry. 2. Dull, pedestrian, commonplace, unimaginative.

Notes: Despite the efforts of legions of excellent novelists, prose has been tainted permanently with connotations of dullness and the commonplace that have taken over the meaning of today's word. This pejorativity has even leaked onto prosaist "writer of prose, prosaic person" to the point that a new term for a prose writer had to be acquired (from the French, as usual): prosateur. All the qualitative nouns bear the same stigma: prosaism, prosaicness, and prosaicalness all refer to dullness and boredom.

In Play: Today's Good Word has long since bolted the literary arena to romp about the general vocabulary of English: "Lida Lott came in a prosaic gray suit to help convince voters of her political savvy and gravitas." So now anything bereft of romance, beauty, and excitement may be said to be prosaic: "After jumping naked into the fountain downtown in an attempt to escape his prosaic life, Ralph found himself living an even more prosaic life in prison."

Word History: Today's Good Word came from Latin prosaicus "proselike", the adjective of prosa "straightforward (discourse)", the feminine of prosus, a reduction of proversus "turned forward", the past participle of provertere "to turn forward". This verb comprises pro "forward" + vertere "to turn". The original word that became vert- in Latin became the adverbial suffix -ward in such words as northward and homeward in English. In Russian it hardly changed: vertet' "to turn, rotate, spin". (We now turn to Lew Jury to thank him in terms, we hope, are not prosaic for suggesting today's very Good Word.)
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Perry Lassiter
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Re: Prosaic

Postby Perry Lassiter » Tue Mar 24, 2015 3:35 pm

I've read, heard, or spoken this word frequently, and almost every time I've wondered at the implied denigration of prose. Many authors write beautiful prose. I have great difficulty reading Dickens with any speed at all for admiring his eloquence and savoring his cadence.
pl

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Re: Prosaic

Postby LukeJavan8 » Tue Mar 24, 2015 4:27 pm

Dan Simmons is a modern writer ("Summer of Night","A Winter
Haunting") writes prose that makes me stop reading just
to enjoy what I've read. He literally paints pictures I can
see in my head. I read constantly and appreciate prose.
I can identify with your comments about Dickens, the same
goes for me. Some poetry excites me, but by and large I
prefer prose.
-----please, draw me a sheep-----

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call_copse
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Re: Prosaic

Postby call_copse » Wed Mar 25, 2015 7:45 am

I've just ordered some of Dan Simmons' work on that recommendation - I was thinking of sorting out something new to read, thanks. Online secondhand bookshops are great aren't they? :D
Iain

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Re: Prosaic

Postby LukeJavan8 » Wed Mar 25, 2015 11:23 am

Some of his books I am not into. I personally am
tired of the vampire genre everywhere.
The one I enjoyed the most was "Summer of Night".
Half dozen eleven year olds and a lot of strange happenings.
Living in that era, remembering sputnik, the TV shows the
kids watch, sitting on the porch. And his delicious
descriptions are among the only reasons I have read that
book twice. Don't hardly ever do that, too much out there
and don't need to double up when so much I've not read,
but this book is extraordinary to me.

Thanks for the thumbs up to me.
-----please, draw me a sheep-----

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call_copse
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Re: Prosaic

Postby call_copse » Thu Mar 26, 2015 7:49 am

[OT - sorry]
Vampires - Bram Stoker, fine by me, Anne Rice did OK also, but I'm not really liable to go further than that. The modern versions do seem to appeal to some of my female friends.

I'm looking at going through the Hyperion Cantos, which I should probably have read ages ago. I quite like the idea of the Chaucerian structure and Keats / Greek mythology references that come to mind being incorporated into science fiction, which I have not really tackled much lately, but have enjoyed previously. Maybe not your preferred bits, but appealed to me right now. I may try out Summer of Night too.
Iain

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Re: Prosaic

Postby LukeJavan8 » Thu Mar 26, 2015 11:08 am

Stoker, and Ann Rice, were OK. It just seems we have
an abundance of Vampire genre, especially on TV now.
the Originals, Supernatural, Vampire Diaries, etc. I followed
them for a few years, but tired.
The Hyperion Cantos look interesting, and by Simmons.
I think I'll give them a try too.
-----please, draw me a sheep-----


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