Plz As a reader, you need to be aware that authors make word choices. As an author, you are responsible for choosing your words carefully. Why is word choice so important? Note the following list of words. Each one means a shade of the color red.

red:scarlet blood rust maroon flame cherry ruddy

NARRATOR: Look at the word red. It’s a good word for illustrating the importance of word choices. You could use the word red in a sentence, but you could also use other words that mean the color red. Such words could be found in a thesaurus, which is similar to a dictionary but contains synonyms of words. There you might find words like: scarlet, blood, rust, maroon, flame, cherry, and ruddy.

The moon was blood red. The moon was rust colored. The moon was a great cherry in the sky.

All three sentences mean the same thing, but they each have a different connotation, which means emotional impact, feeling, or mood. A moon described as “blood red” has a creepy kind of feeling. A “rust colored” moon could mean that the year is aging like a rusting piece of metal. A “cherry moon” is a happy moon, making the reader think of warm summer evenings.

There are even more words out there that mean the color red. Such words can be found in a reference book called a thesaurus. A thesaurus is similar to a dictionary except that instead of definitions, it contains synonyms of words. A thesaurus is a great way to add sparkle to your writing.

Why are so many different words necessary? To find out, read the following sentences:

1 –The moon was blood red.

2 –The moon was rust colored.

3 –The moon was a great cherry in the sky.

All three sentences mean the same thing, but they each have a different connotation. Connotation just means emotional impact, feeling, or mood. A moon described as “blood red” has a creepy kind of feeling—the feeling that something has or is just about to go very wrong. A “rust colored” moon indicates more of a fall feeling, and could mean that the year is getting old like a piece of metal left out to rust in the rain. A cherry moon is a happy moon; it makes the reader think of summer time and warm evenings. Are you starting to understand the power of choosing just the right word to describe the moon?

Look back at the beginning of Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado.” Poe starts the story with the sentence, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.”

Why do you think Poe wrote that? Why didn’t he just write, “Fortunato insulted me, so I decided to get even”? Think about the connotations of the words “injuries,” “insult,” and “revenge.” These words were chose to create a particular feeling at the beginning of this dark story.

Answer the following questions.
1)
Word Choice Exercise 1

Write ONE word or phrase that Poe uses to create the mood of "The Cask of Amontillado." Then explain the effect the word has on the audience.