00164—What are the views of I. A. Richards on the emotive use of language? OR What does Richards mean by the language of poetry?

When a statement is made for the sake of the effects in emotion and attitude, it is called the emotive use of language.  The word “emotive” is related to emotion.  It is this use of language that is relevant in poetry.  When Iago remarks, “Ah, I like not that!” in the play ‘Othello’ the effect of the simple-seeming statement is far reaching.  It is upon this statement or comment that the whole play moves.  Like a pricking nail the remark troubles Othello.  Similarly the words “I gave commands and all her smiles stopped” [in My Last Duchess by Robert Browning] tell us a lot of things.  Similarly when words are arranged in different ways, a poet can produce various moods: in the play “Julius Caesar”, Mark Antony makes his oratory appealing by the use of irony.  When he continuously says ‘Brutus is an honourable man’, the effect upon the Roman mob is a fine example of the emotive use of language.  They finally declare that Brutus is not honourable.