The idea expressed by Raymond Carver was extremely interesting. I believe common place can be a wonderful way to communicate with the audience using simple words while ensuring the meaning is not lost. The punctuation of a writing is also particularly important for the writer to properly convey their message but also for the reader, allowing for a better understanding of the text. In Joyce Carol Oates’s ‘Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?’ the sentence ‘So they went out to his car, and on the way, Connie couldn’t help but let her eyes wander over the windshields and faces all around her’ embodies commonplace language. It describes a simple action in a natural way, allowing the reader to absorb the text without distraction.” While all writers have their own way of writing, story’s written in common place language I find more enjoyable.
Daily Archives: May 1, 2025
I think that the idea expressed by Raymond Carve about commonplace is interesting. Every author has a different way to write and express their stories. I think commonplace and precise language can be helpful for many people but if is only commonplace and not imagery or something to get the readers attention then it can be to simple and for many people that can be boring. A story that I really like is “the Handsomest Drowned Man In the World” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. This story has words and phrase that is easy to read and understand. “where the wind is so peaceful now that it’s gone to sleep beneath the beds, over there, where the sun’s so bright that the sunflowers don’t know which way to turn, yes, over there, that’s Esteban’s village.” This is an example of commonplace because the words are easy to read but the message was so clear and beautiful told in a way that I was able to imagine it.
I think Raymond Carver’s idea of using “commonplace but precise language” really shows in Gwendolyn Brooks’s poem “We Real Cool” The words are super simple and easy to understand, but it still tells a deeper story. The poem is short, direct, and full of an attitude that sticks with you. You can feel the rebellious vibe just by how it’s written. Even though the poem doesn’t go into a lot of detail, it gets the point across in a strong way. The way Brooks breaks the lines, like ending each with “We,” makes it feel like these teens are trying to prove something, but also unsure of themselves. And then the line “We Die soon” really hits, it’s so short, but powerful. It shows how fast their lives could end, and it leaves you thinking. I get what Carver means now: you don’t need big words to create big emotions. Simple words can still be deep if they’re used the right way.
