Using this sentence from “How NASA Measures the Death of a Glacier from Space”:

“Standing on frozen ground, tasting air heavy with huckleberries, I had to perch on a lofty boulder in order to focus the whole ice mass in my smartphone screen.”

Is the phrase “tasting air heavy with huckleberries'' denotative or connotative? Explain how you know this.
In your own words, describe what the sentence means.

1 answer

The phrase “tasting air heavy with huckleberries” is primarily connotative. While it might literally refer to the scent or essence of huckleberries in the air, the wording evokes a sensory experience that goes beyond just tasting. The phrase suggests an abundance of huckleberries and conveys feelings of nature’s richness, freshness, and perhaps nostalgia or pleasure. It elicits an emotional response and paints a vivid picture of the environment, which is characteristic of connotative language.

In my own words, the sentence describes a person standing in a cold, frozen landscape where the air is filled with the scent of huckleberries. To capture a clear image of a large glacier on their smartphone, they need to climb onto a high boulder. This conveys the sense of effort involved in taking the photo, while also highlighting the beauty and sensory richness of the surrounding environment.