using silhouette to describe this

[alpacinou]

Hello,

Can I use "silhouette" to describe this photo?



What do you think about my sentence?

A young couple were affectionately kissing underneath a tree, silhouetted against a vast expanse of fiery sky.

I know it's too long, but I'm practicing.

 

[emsr2d2]

I'm not sure you can kiss in any other way than affectionately. In fact, that adverb doesn't sound romantic enough. A grandmother might affectionately stroke the cheek of a grandchild. I'd go with something like "kissing passionately".

I wouldn't call that a vast expanse of sky, nor would I describe it as fiery. Fiery conjures up either the bright reds and purples of sunrise/sunset, or the terrifying orange glow that could be seen during the wildfires in Australia earlier in the year.

 

[alpacinou]

I'm not sure you can kiss in any other way than affectionately. In fact, that adverb doesn't sound romantic enough. A grandmother might affectionately stroke the cheek of a grandchild. I'd go with something like "kissing passionately".

I wouldn't call that a vast expanse of sky, nor would I describe it as fiery. Fiery conjures up either the bright reds and purples of sunrise/sunset, or the terrifying orange glow that could be seen during the wildfires in Australia earlier in the year.

How about now?

A young couple were passionately kissing underneath a tree, silhouetted against the golden sky.

Is there something poetic / dramatic I can say instead of kissing?

 

[GoesStation]

They're beneath the tree — unless they're underground.

 

[alpacinou]

They're beneath the tree — unless they're underground.

What do you think about this?

A young couple were passionately kissing beneath a tree, silhouetted against the golden sky.

 

[GoesStation]

What do you think about this?

A young couple were passionately kissing beneath a tree, silhouetted against the golden sky.

It's okay. Well done.

 

[alpacinou]

It's okay. Well done.

Thanks. Can you think of something I can say instead of kissing? I feel like that is too easy! I perfectly understand it does the trick and I should keep it simple.

But for the sake of practice, what is a dramatic way of talking about their kissing?

 

[GoesStation]

They shared a loving embrace? Sometimes less is more ….

 

[alpacinou]

They shared a loving embrace?

I will take that sir. Thanks.

 

[emsr2d2]

They're beneath the tree — unless they're underground.

I'm totally fine with "under the tree", "underneath the tree" and "beneath the tree" (in order of my preference). Common sense tells us they're not under the ground.

 

[jutfrank]

I'm with GoesStation on the preposition—underneath is not right.

beneath is fine and under is better still.

 

[GoesStation]

Underneath would work if they were on the top floor of a building with an open terrace above them — and the terrace was decorated with potted trees.

 

[Skrej]

I'm totally fine with "under the tree", "underneath the tree" and "beneath the tree" (in order of my preference). Common sense tells us they're not under the ground.

I agree, both with the order and the use. I can't imagine any native speaker interpreting it as 'below ground' in this context. You are underneath the canopy, after all. Now if I get my wish and have a tree planted on my grave, then yes, I'll literally be underneath the tree.

Thanks. Can you think of something I can say instead of kissing? I feel like that is too easy! I perfectly understand it does the trick and I should keep it simple.

But for the sake of practice, what is a dramatic way of talking about their kissing?

There aren't a lot of direct synonyms for 'kiss', and many of the ones we have carry other connotations. The other terms I can think of like 'smooch' and 'snog' (not used in AmE) have more of a whimsical sense to them. Other slang such as 'sucking face', 'mashing lips', or the hysterical 'bobbing for tonsils' obviously carry negative tones of disgust.

People can 'lock lips', but that's also kind of unwieldy to work into a sentence naturally. I don't know that I've ever actually heard that phrase spoken out loud.

Even with 'embrace', I picture people hugging, not kissing. They may well be kissing, but it doesn't necessarily follow that they are kissing just because they are embracing.

 

[jutfrank]

Nobody is saying that anyone would interpret underneath as meaning that the couple were underground. We're just saying that it's not a good preposition to use.