Make Your Point > Archived Issues > DIRGE

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connect today's word to others: A dirge is a sad song of mourning, or anything that sadly expresses grief. The word dirge probably comes from the first Latin word of this Bible-based antiphon, a kind of prayer that gets sung or chanted: "Dirige, Domine, Deus meus, in conspectu tuo viam meam," which means "Direct, O Lord, my God, my way in thy sight." So that's why dirge resembles words like direct, director, directory, and even dirigible (which literally means "able to be directed or steered"). A dirge is a bit like a lamentation, and a bit like a jeremiad. Could you explain those similarities? Finally, we can call something a dirge even if it's not literally a song--just like we can call something a b_ll_t d__x even if it's not literally a love letter. Could you recall that term? (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "DIRGE" Strictly speaking, a dirge is a funeral song, or a sad song of mourning. More loosely, a dirge is something (such as a poem or a movie) that expresses sadness (and often love) for a person or thing that's dead or gone. Pronunciation: DURGE (rhymes with "urge") Part of speech: Countable noun. (Countable nouns, like "bottle," "piece," and "decision," are words for things that can be broken into exact units. You talk about "a bottle," "three pieces," and "many decisions." Likewise, talk about one dirge or multiple dirges.) Other forms: dirges, dirgeful, dirge-like How to use it: "Dirge" is a serious, poetic word. What kinds of things can we call dirges? Often a dirge is a song, but it can also be a poem, a book, a show, a movie, a conversation, a work of art, a campaign, etc. Talk about people writing, creating, forming, singing, playing, performing, and offering dirges. You can talk about a dirge to the person or thing being mourned: "a dirge to his lost love," "this dirge to bygone summers." Or, talk about a dirge about or for a certain person or thing: "Eliot's poem is a dirge about wandering listlessly, lovelessly through town," "the movie is a dirge for the American dream."  And you might talk about a dirge of certain features: "it's a dirge of solemn bells and low voices." Finally, we'll say that something seems or sounds like a dirge to point out how it's surprisingly sad, dark, or melancholy: "what should have been a celebration sounded like a dirge." examples: Almost every song on Tidal is a slow dirge, most transparently "The Child is Gone." "'The Parade' is a modernist dirge of a book that still packs an emotional wallop, telling the story of mankind’s recurring and deadly war fever."    —Art Spiegelman, The New Yorker, 25 October 2016 study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "dirge" means when you can explain it without saying "tribute" or "memorial." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "_____ (sounds, seems, feels, plays, or reads) like a dirge to _____." Example: "My Girl feels like a dirge to childhood, or to happy endings." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. This month, we're playing "Sleek Slogans." I'll take a familiar slogan from a company or a product, express that slogan in plain language, and tell you the specific qualities the slogan has (like rhyme or alliteration), and then you come up with the real slogan as well as the name of the company or product. From the previous issue: Rewrite this slogan by using a play on words and alliteration (repeated sounds, as in "vim and vigor"): "When you give your significant other one of our products, she will be happy and affectionate." Answer: That's a slogan for Kay Jewelers: "Every kiss begins with Kay."  Try this one today: Rewrite this slogan by using imagery and alliteration (repeated sounds, as in "vim and vigor"): "Use our product, and confer on your car all the qualities we associate with a jungle cat, like grace, strength, beauty, and ferocity." review today's word: 1. A close opposite of DIRGE is A. REJECTION. B. DITTY. C. AID. 2. For such _____ song, the lyrics are surprisingly dirge-like. A. a universally known B. a reflective C. an upbeat Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. C