A jeremiad is a mournful or exaggerated piece of writing, often used pejoratively. It refers to the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah’s warnings about the destruction of Jerusalem. Jeremiads commonly incorporate charged and argumentative language and can be reflective pieces. Authors may attempt to refute the notion that their piece is a jeremiad.
A jeremiad is a long composition written with very mournful or atrocious overtones. This term is often used pejoratively, to imply that a piece of writing is exaggerated and exaggerated. If someone suggests that a piece of writing is a jeremiad, it usually means that it could benefit from judicious editing to tone down the nature of the piece and eliminate extraneous content.
This term is a reference to the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah, who was notoriously verbose. In the sense of terrible-toned writing, the word refers to Jeremiah’s warnings about the destruction of Jerusalem, which he claimed was the result of God’s ignorance. Jerusalem, which happened just as he foretold.
Jeremiahs in the sense of warnings commonly incorporate charged and argumentative language. For example, many political writers write dire warnings about the future of their nations, referencing loose habits, unhealthy policies, and general recklessness among people that they believe will lead to dire consequences. Many jeremiads include a certain amount of inveighing against wicked or wicked habits, with the suggestion that these habits be changed before a nation or people suffers the fall.
People don’t just use this term to describe a collection of dire predictions and warnings. A jeremiad can also be a reflective piece, referencing Jeremiah’s lament. If a reflective piece is extremely lugubrious and feels more like a long complaint than a serious reflective evaluation, it runs the risk of being classified as a jeremiad. Especially when people are speaking or writing about topics of great personal importance, it can be difficult to avoid intense emotions, even when those emotions dilute the power of the piece; in these situations, a good editor is vital.
You may also hear authors attempt to refute the notion that a piece is a jeremiad, typically in the introduction. These authors are generally aware that their writing style and subject matter could potentially combine to create a piece that could be seen as a bit over the top, so they try to convince readers before they even begin that the piece should be taken seriously. . Sometimes this ploy backfires, making readers even more aware of emotional nuances, and therefore even more critical.
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