What Is Purple Prose? | Meaning & Examples
Purple prose is an excessive and flowery writing style that draws attention to itself, pulling the reader out of the story. It is characterized by long-winded sentences, unnecessary adjectives, and flamboyant vocabulary. While some writers may use purple prose deliberately for effect, it is generally considered a sign of poor writing and is best avoided.
The melodramatic tone in the opening lines of Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s 1830 novel Paul Clifford is a hallmark of purple prose.
Purple prose meaning
Purple prose is a pejorative term referring to overly ornate literary works that leave the reader confused or tired.
The term was coined by the Roman poet Horace in his work “Ars Poetica” (“The Art of Poetry”) to describe irrelevant and pretentious writing. At his time, the color purple was associated with power and status, and people seeking to appear wealthy would sew purple cloth onto cheaper clothing. Horace compared over-written passages, in which the writer tries too hard to impress the reader, to this practice.
In modern usage, “purple prose” denotes florid writing, often found in pulp genres such as romance or mystery novels. Sometimes, these overly elaborate passages (referred to as “purple patches”) can surface in a story, especially when novice writers attempt to emulate the style of established writers from the past.
What is purple prose?
Purple prose is characterized by the following elements:
- Excessive use of figurative language. Purple prose relies heavily on metaphors, similes, and other figures of speech. This can make the writing dense and hard to follow or may lead to clichés.
- Melodramatic tone. Using emotional embellishment, writers tend to make something bigger or more meaningful than it is, hoping to elicit a response from the reader.
- Elaborate descriptions. Purple prose often delves into a character’s inner thoughts and feelings, going beyond what is necessary for the context or scene. Similarly, writers use too many words to describe what is happening, instead of showing these elements through actions, sensory details, and dialogue.
- Overly complicated sentences. While many writers skillfully employ long sentences, in purple prose, sentences become unnecessarily convoluted, filled with dependent clauses or excessive details that are irrelevant at that moment.
- Pretentious or unnatural words. Purple prose is characterized by overly poetic or sophisticated words that feel out of place or extravagant. This can make the writing seem inauthentic and distracting.
Purple prose examples
The following passage from Sean Penn’s novel Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff exemplifies purple prose in its overly complex language, intricate sentence structure, and overuse of adjectives that make the text impenetrable.
The phrases “boyhood essence,” “separation from time, synergy, and social mores,” and “woeful whimsy” are all abstract and vague. In an effort to sound philosophical, the terms are presented in a way that feels too detached, leaving the reader struggling to connect these ideas. Despite the intricate language, the passage lacks immediate action or character development.
While the book series Twilight has several die-hard fans, some argue that Stephanie Mayer’s writing overindulges in elaborate descriptions and ornate language.
In this passage, the characters are simply sitting and staring, with the narration focused on Jacob’s expression rather than any meaningful dialogue or plot development. There is also an abundance of adjectives (“nearby driftwood tree,” “twisted roots,” “broad lips,” “vital interest”) and an elaborate simile (“like the attenuated legs of a huge, pale spider”) that are excessive and disrupt the flow of the narrative.
Frequently asked questions about purple prose
- What is flowery language?
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Flowery language is an elaborate, ornate, and overly descriptive way of writing or speaking. It is marked by the excessive use of complicated words and figurative language in an attempt to sound poetic.
Flowery language is a characteristic of purple prose and the opposite of plain language. While it aims to impress, it can come across as inauthentic and tiresome, potentially putting off the reader.
The QuillBot Paraphraser can help you vary the tone and style of your writing to avoid flowery language.
- What does florid mean?
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The term “florid” describes something that is excessively decorated or detailed, often in a way that can be seen as overly elaborate or flowery. This can apply to architecture, writing, or any other form of artistic expression featuring intricate detail. In literature, florid language is often associated with purple prose.
The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help ensure you’re using words like “florid” correctly in your writing.
