Exploring the Sonic Depths of Poetry, Language, and Existence
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Chapter 1: The Allure of Language
For those raised in a stringent religious environment, the thrill of using curse words can be particularly enticing. It's not merely about their crudeness; rather, it's a tantalizing act of defiance. The prohibition against such expressions heightens one's awareness of the auditory pleasure they provide. The most impactful swear words tend to be concise, starting with a gentle consonant that transitions into a harder sound, creating a satisfying auditory effect. It’s akin to launching a projectile, where the vowel is propelled through the initial consonant and strikes against the next, producing a pleasurable release—much like striking a wall with your fist or the snap of a bowstring.
To illustrate, these curse words often convey little meaning on their own. The "s-word" and "f-word" can be used interchangeably; while they may have different contexts—one leaning towards the sexual and the other the excremental—they both serve as an onomatopoeic expression of raw emotion. This brings us to the crucial distinction between vowels and consonants.
Ancient sacred texts, such as those in Hebrew and Arabic, were originally composed solely of consonants, with vowel markings introduced later. When we experiment with English, removing vowels diminishes the emotional and temporal qualities of a text, although the core meaning remains largely intact. For example, consider this jumbled sentence:
Tr ths sntnc fr strt. — y i eae o a a.
Conversely, when it comes to spoken language, the absence of consonants leaves us with a vague approximation. Vowels shape the essence of words, while consonants create the boundaries that give them meaning.
Section 1.1: Consonants and the Structure of Meaning
These sounds provide semantic structure to the otherwise endless emotional flow of vowels. This phenomenon parallels how we perceive objects in our environment, as it's the edges that lend significance to items. Games like Pictionary illustrate this point; with minimal information, one can convey ideas like "apple" or "sheep" through simple sketches.
However, the evolution of words isn't a matter of random symbolic meaning. As we observed with curse words, their selection is influenced by both their sound and denotation. It's challenging to imagine alternative terms evolving into vulgarities; phrases like “copulate you!” or expressions of surprise like “oh manure!” simply lack the same impact. Many words carry an inherent sonic quality that connects them to their meanings, even if this connection is subtle.
Subsection 1.1.1: The Poet’s Craft
In the realm of poetry, the denotative power of words often takes a backseat to their connotative and sonic attributes. Readers may engage with poetry on an instinctual level, feeling its effects without fully understanding them, much like how one can be moved by a piece of music without grasping its technical intricacies. Poetry invites readers to attune their senses to a language that transcends literal meaning, offering deeper interpretations that resonate on a personal level.
As noted by Karen Armstrong in her book, The Lost Art of Scripture, the term "Brahman" in Hinduism originated from a word signifying a poetic expression. This concept evolved to symbolize the ultimate source of existence, with priests engaging in a ritualized competition to articulate the ineffable Brahman. In essence, this endeavor mirrors the poet's quest to capture the inexpressible, often leading to transformative experiences for readers.
Section 1.2: The Genesis of Words
Words are perceived as generative forces; in the Bible, God speaks creation into existence. The New Testament's reference to the Logos (Word) suggests that it is through this concept that we can comprehend reality. Theologian Origen posits that the Logos renders the world intelligible, akin to how consonants frame the emotional essence of vowels.
Chapter 2: Language and Consciousness
Some might argue that consciousness hinges on language. It's this second layer of awareness—an awareness of our awareness—that defines consciousness. Language offers a symbolic representation of our thoughts, embodied in expressions like "I" and "you."
In my earlier essay on poetry and knowledge, poet Don Paterson asserts that poetry can reconnect us to a primordial consciousness, one that predates language. As language emerges, it segments the world into distinct parts, causing us to lose some aspects of reality. Yet, poetry allows us to push language to its limits, granting fleeting glimpses of unity, reminiscent of the experiences sought by Brahman priests.
The journey from strict religious upbringing to recognizing the profound similarities between religious and poetic language can be enlightening. Religious expressions often resonate more closely with poetry than with scientific texts, despite what fundamentalist rhetoric may suggest. The phrase "In the beginning was the Word" conveys far more than its literal meaning, emphasizing the need to revisit the expansive realms of religious language in our increasingly literal and often hollow societies.
Ultimately, it seems evident that reality itself is beyond full expression. The infinite cannot be confined and remains beyond our divisions. Our closest approach to understanding it lies in the language that stretches words to their limits, where consonants shimmer like an optical illusion, momentarily revealing the vast expanse of vowels that echo through time, reminiscent of the haunting song of whales.
The first video, "Aryaana Khan - A Poem About Language," explores the intricate relationship between language and its profound emotional resonance.
The second video, "The Poetry of Everyday Language" by Julián Delgado Lopera, dives into how our daily expressions can evoke deep poetic sentiments.