Verbs make us tense…
I’ve been reflecting on the power of verbs in the English language to evoke emotion and even steer people’s opinions. Specifically, I’ve noticed that common verbs lose their “edge” so to speak and communication takes on a dull sheen. But, using vivid verbs brings in a sense of clarity. It commits the speaker to a certain tone or color about what they are speaking of and evokes either assent or dissent in the hearer. Let me use a simple example…
“Today feels like a good day.” - a phrase that may be spoken and heard hundreds of times throughout our week. “Feels” has lost it’s meaning. Saying that “Today” has feelings may have been a novel and abstract way of personifying Today so that the speaker could reflect on how the day has an assertive characteristic on it’s own. But now, it’s boring. We use the phrase because it’s common and people know what we’re talking about (we hope).
But what if I said this…”Today smells fresh.” This is a most odd phrase. I dare you to try it in a conversation and watch people’s reactions grow across their faces. “Why would Today smell like anything?” their mind will wonder. Admitedly, the phrase sounds very poetic and out of place in what we consider normal conversation. But Today “smelling” is no more odd than Today “feeling”. Except that “feeling” has become a bland verb and “smelling” has more texture to it. It even seems a bit sharp in the way it pokes it’s head out of the sentance.
Notice how “feels” has a very passive connotation to it. It’s almost as if the speaker hopes to be convinved or has someone chime in with agreement. In our example, when we say that Today “smells fresh”, there is a more assertive quality to it…precisely because it is unusual.
I’ve been studying a list of verbs to increase (or remember) my vocabulary. You might benefit from it, too. Here’s the link: