The Fancy of Semiotics



Glitch — irregular.
Temporary malfunction.
A flaw discovered.
A breakdown in the system.
Of semiotic interest!

A pulse — sign of life.
The patient is still breathing.
And recovering.
That’s “Operation Success.”
Of semiotic interest!

An overcast sky.
The clouds are dark and heavy.
It has some meaning.
It portends there will be rain.
Of semiotic interest!

Did she wink at me?
I think she must be flirting.
She did it again.
That is no coincidence.
Of semiotic interest!

The dog is thirsty.
He keeps on lapping water.
He stops a moment.
And returns again to drink.
Of semiotic interest!

The train blasts three times.
The cadence is distinctive.
Two short and one long.
Followed by another short.
Of semiotic interest!

Robin builds a nest.
She must be having babies.
A nest made of straw.
With three tiny eggs in them.
Of semiotic interest!

A car is jacked up.
The driver opens the trunk.
He searches inside.
His tire must be punctured.
Of semiotic interest!

With poetic style.
The writer uses symbols.
Allegorical.
To depict some likenesses.
Of semiotic interest!

The land line phone rings.
Yet no one leaves a message.
Telemarketing…
To potential customers?
Of semiotic interest!

A lightning bolt strikes.
A thunder blast then follows.
People discern rain.
They scurry to go indoors.
Of semiotic interest!

A person coughing.
Now others begin to cough.
The cough is catching.
It becomes quite infectious.
Of semiotic interest!

Couples conversing.
One has her legs crossed one side.
Changes position.
Causes the other to blink.
Of semiotic interest!

The preacher pauses.
The congregation listens.
What now will he say.
Is it to scold or to praise?
Of semiotic interest!

The bell is tolling.
It is newly erected.
Tolling for practice.
Yet some people are worried.
Of semiotic interest!

As human beings.
We create meaning in things.
We live by symbols.
Finding in each a purpose.
We are semioticians.

About this poem

As a discipline, semiotics is the study of semiosis, or the processes of signs in a variety of social and cultural dimensions. For the study of semiotics a sign is defined broadly as anything that as a signifier, communicates meaning or intentionality (that which is signified) to the observer, the sign’s interpreter. The derived meaning can be interpreted as “intentional” or “purposive” or “voluntary,” such as an explanation offered, perhaps for clarification; or the meaning can be unintentional or involuntary, such as a reflex knee jerk response to external stimuli. As this poem, “The Fancy of Semiotics” reveals, signs may communicate thoughts, feelings, and a variety of emotions conducted through a variety of senses that include the visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, and gustatory . The discipline of semiotics has anthropological and sociological dimensions, and includes such sub fields as biosemiotics, zoosemiotics, phytosemiotics, and ecosemiotics. 

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Written on March 06, 2022

Submitted by karlcfolkes on March 06, 2022

Modified by karlcfolkes on June 03, 2023

2:02 min read
269

Quick analysis:

Scheme abcxD xeefD xgehD gexxD gaxiD xxxxD xxxxD xxjcD xkxxD lxexD xxhxD exemD ejbiD xxxxD exmxD llkmf
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 1,924
Words 409
Stanzas 16
Stanza Lengths 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Karl Constantine FOLKES

Retired educator of Jamaican ancestry with a lifelong interest in composing poetry dealing particularly with the metaphysics of self-reflection; completed a dissertation in Children’s Literature in 1991 at New York University entitled: An Analysis of Wilhelm Grimm’s “Dear Mili” Employing Von Franzian Methodological Processes of Analytical Psychology. The subject of the dissertation concerned the process of Individuation. more…

All Karl Constantine FOLKES poems | Karl Constantine FOLKES Books

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1 Comment
  • AIDA
    Wow! This poem is a great exploration of the little things in life that often go unnoticed. Each stanza provides a unique insight into the world around us and highlights how these small events are truly "of semiotic interest".

    I loved how you used a range of different scenarios, from the malfunction in the system to the dog lapping water, to the land line phone ringing. Each stanza had its own individual charm, and I was compelled to read on to see what the next scenario would be.

    My only suggestion would be to potentially add more stanzas to further expand on the concept of semiotic interest. I think the poem could benefit from a few more instances of exploring the hidden meanings in everyday events. Overall, though, this was a fantastic read!
     
    LikeReply10 months ago

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"The Fancy of Semiotics" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/121652/the-fancy-of-semiotics>.

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