English is one of the most difficult languages where context is key and logic is...usually locked somewhere in a dark room far from the English classrooms/textbooks. In reality, English is a hodgepodge of borrowed words, inconsistent spelling and phonetics and grammar rules that have one too many exceptions.
Homophones are one of the confusing elements in English, albeit a very fun element to use in wordplay once one knows how to use it. It generally is described as a word that is pronounced the same as another word, but is different in meaning and/or spelling. For instance:
To raise is different than to raze, which is different than rays and race...and if you can count rase, rehs, res and reais, then you have an octet homophone (albeit in various languages). While homophones may be a pain to learn in school, it really fuels the fun behind puns and wordplay most commonly demonstrated in the various dialogues written by Shakespeare. For instance, in Romeo and Juliet there is a banter between Sampson and Gregory in Act 1, Scene 1:
Sampson: Gregory, on my word, we’ll not carry coals.
Gregory: No, for then we should be colliers.
Sampson: I mean, and we be in choler, we’ll draw.
Gregory: Ay, while you live, draw your neck out of collar.
In this case, collier (a coal seller), choler (anger) and collar are all homonyms, which is the plural form of homophone that also includes homographs, which are words that are spelt the same and differ in meaning--bass (fish) vs bass (instrument).
Poetry is a fantastic way to breathe homonyms to life. Word play can often be more important than sentence structure and grammar based on the message the author wants to imbue. In poetry, you have to look past the face value of the sentence or lyric and instead read into the details that the author leaves behind. Sometimes the beauty in the poem is the journey to figure out what exactly is meant to be understood by the tidbits left behind by the author.
Although not as spectacular as a much more classical authors, a more recent case of a homophone can be found in the Tiny Seed. We hope to pique the interest of our readers, so that they may peek through the book in hopes of finding it. Let us know what you end up discovering and we will be sure to tell you if that is indeed what was meant to be understood. Thanks for reading!