From the following context clues, determine what definition of "sententious" lawrence is using. and melville really is a bit sententious: aware of himself, self-conscious, putting something over even himself. but then it's not easy to get into the swing of a piece of deep mysticism when you just set out with a story. nobody can be more clownish, more clumsy and sententiously in bad taste, than herman melville, even in a great book like moby d*ck. he preaches and holds forth because he's not sure of himself. and he holds forth, often, so amateurishly. —d. h. lawrence, from studies in classic american literature hint: the following all correctly define "sententiously." think connotation. tense and energetic concise and full of meaning preachy; given to ponderous moral lecturing precise and exact