Prose text that is overwritten in a way that disrupts a narrative flow
This article is about the literary term. For the album by Deep Purple, see Purple Passages.
In literary criticism, purple prose is overly ornate prose text that may disrupt a narrative flow by drawing undesirable attention to its own extravagant style of writing, thereby diminishing the appreciation of the prose overall.[1] Purple prose is characterized by the excessive use of adjectives, adverbs, and metaphors. When it is limited to certain passages, they may be termed purple patches or purple passages, standing out from the rest of the work.
Purple prose is criticized for desaturating the meaning in an author's text by overusing melodramatic and fanciful descriptions. As there is no precise rule or absolute definition of what constitutes purple prose, deciding if a text, passage, or complete work has fallen victim is a somewhat subjective decision. According to Paul West, "It takes a certain amount of sass to speak up for prose that's rich, succulent and full of novelty. Purple is immoral, undemocratic and insincere; at best artsy, at worst the exterminating angel of depravity."[2]
^"A Word a Day – purple prose". Wordsmith.org. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
^West, Paul (15 December 1985). "In Defense of Purple Prose". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
In literary criticism, purpleprose is overly ornate prose text that may disrupt a narrative flow by drawing undesirable attention to its own extravagant...
literature. Purpleprose – is prose that is so extravagant, ornate, or flowery as to break the flow and draw excessive attention to itself. Prose is divided...
usage, although such passages are usually incongruous. By extension, purpleprose is lavishly figurative, rhythmic, or otherwise overwrought. In philosophy...
color of the Engineering Corp in the British Military.[citation needed] Purpleprose refers to pretentious or overly embellished writing. For example, a paragraph...
co-founded PurpleProse magazine. In the introduction of Purple Anthology, Zahm shares why he chose to create PurpleProse: "We launched PurpleProse in the...
Steelover with Rudy Lenners (known from German rockband (the) Scorpions). In 1999 she was the lead singer in Brussels band PurpleProse. Vaya con Dios v t e...
example of a florid, melodramatic style of fiction writing", also known as purpleprose. The status of the sentence as an archetype for bad writing comes from...
intended audience Pleonasm – Redundancy in linguistic expression Purpleprose – Prose text that is overwritten in a way that disrupts a narrative flow...
gave his speech (albeit unwritten and unprepared because of the story "PurpleProse"), he realized that there was a gallery above the dance hall where assassins...
since its publication, and has been panned by critics for its excessive purpleprose and poorly-constructed plot. Noble Sir John Dunfern makes a sudden decision...
its Romantic qualities, it has likewise become a textbook example of purpleprose. "It was a dark and stormy night" is only the beginning of the full first...
Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 January 2017. "Seriously PurpleProse – The Official David Freeman and The Lover Speaks Site Updates". Soulsaw...
and MacLeod tried to suggest improvements, but the book had too much purpleprose and a very convoluted structure. In 1984, shortly after The Wasp Factory...
was an unlikely publishing sensation. Literary purists scoffed at its purpleprose; Indian (and many other) readers bristled at its stereotypes and cultural...
liked it. It was fun writing something completely over the top, full of purpleprose, and in a weak moment I agreed to do five more and the novelization of...
write a compelling mystery novel. Janet Maslin wrote that in addition to purpleprose, "credibility problems plague Ms. Pessl from the moment she first toots...
Sean (February 4, 1995). "Beware the Perilous Pitfalls of Brightly PurpleProse". The Age (Melbourne, Australia). Begley, 2014 p. 134-135: Plot summary...
Marinismo in Italy, and préciosité in France, for example. Periodic sentence Purpleprose Huxley, Aldous (1923). On the Margin: Notes and Essays. New York: George...
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