Longfellow's "Evangeline" and Iconic Realism ("Evangeline" de Longfellow et realism emblématique) (Click onto this title to hear the song, Evangeline, sung by Annie Blanchard en français)

Photo from DuckDuckGo Images shows the statue of Evangeline, 

sitting in the Acadian Memorial in St. Martinville, Louisiana.

My absolute favorite American narrative poem is Evangeline, written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. He beautifully illustrates the theory of iconic realism, for he writes of an iconic love between two Acadian villagers, separated by imperialistic orders of the British military.

As the two lovers set off on their lifelong quest, each alone, yet jointly searching through the American wilderness with hope of an eventual reunion, the audience becomes aware of diminishing cultures across this vast continent as one community gains control over another with little regard for cultural tolerance. In the final stanza of this epic poem, Longfellow illustrates that a culture, like love, may go through changes, but with God's gift of human perseverance and Divine purpose, both a culture and love will prevail:

Still stands the forest primeval; but far away from its shadow, 

Side by side, in their nameless graves, the lovers are sleeping. 

Under the humble walls of the little Catholic churchyard, 

In the heart of the city, they lie, unknown and unnoticed; 

Daily the tides of life go ebbing and flowing beside them, 

Thousands of throbbing hearts, where theirs are at rest and forever, 

Thousands of aching brains, where theirs no longer are busy, 

Thousands of toiling hands, where theirs have ceased from their labors, 

Thousands of weary feet, where theirs have completed their journey! 

Still stands the forest primeval; but under the shade of its branches 

Dwells another race, with other customs and language. 

Only along the shore of the mournful and misty Atlantic 

Linger a few Acadian peasants, whose fathers from exile 

Wandered back to their native land to die in its bosom; 

In the fisherman's cot the wheel and the loom are still busy; 

Maidens still wear their Norman caps and their kirtles of homespun, 

And by the evening fire repeat Evangeline's story, 

While from its rocky caverns the deep-voiced, neighboring ocean 

Speaks, and in accents disconsolate, answers the wail of the forest.

(Longfellow, Evangeline, Part II, Canto V)

Irish Music and Iconic Realism in Sydney Owenson's piece, "When Floating O'er"

 

Sydney Owenson (Lady Morgan) and Harp

from my book cover, 

a special acknowledgment to the New York Public Library

From my presentation at an annual Conference of the Association of Franco-Irish Studies, Dublin, Ireland: 

The Irish melody, “When Floating O’er: Cathleen Nolan” from Sydney Owenson’s 1803 collection, Twelve Original Hibernian Melodies, demonstrates an iconic vision and focuses the audience’s attention on iconic elements associated with late 18th - early 19th century Ireland that deal with transformation. This particular piece demonstrates my semiotic theory of iconic realism in that it complies with the following necessary components of my theory: 

1.    The presence of a realistic icon: a representation of Cathleen ni Houlihan. 

2.   Deliberate placement of the icon within the midst of a unique, realistic setting out of place for this particular icon: lyrical and musical choices. 

3.  A created dissonance between these two entities as the catalyst that generates audience enlightenment of a cultural dilemma in need of transformation: Irish awareness of cultural valor.  

In Owenson’s compilation entitled, Twelve Original Hibernian Melodies, published in 1803, one melody, “When Floating Oér,” contains lyrics that relate directly to the Irish iconic figure, Cathleen ni Houlihan. She situates the essence of this character as one who is ubiquitous yet elusive, much like segments of Irish culture at the onset of the nineteenth century.  

Not only did Owenson’s nineteenth century listening audience experience the pleasant melody of this tune, they also were able to interpret the lyrics as an Irish romantic memory or a realization that a change in the historical relevance of Irish history was at hand. Playing this piece and other Irish melodies on her harp, Owenson exhibited iconic realism by bringing attention of Irish history, plucked on soothing strings. Perhaps, her attempt was to lull her audience into a state of acceptance or awaken them gradually by means of intense harmonics. 

Thus, the utility of music as a means of representing the semiotic theory of iconic realism involves a multiple sensory application in connection with sound wave production and its effect on human cognition. Whether the connection originates from a classical music composition, sounds of nature, or a synthesized production, juxtaposition of an iconic sound with an aspect of realism produces an auditory response that ultimately can lead to an audience’s awareness of positive change, be it cultural or individual.

Two Candles Burning and Iconic Realism

The following poem is the poetic version of the Introduction to a collection of short stories that I will finish writing...one day...

How does this explain iconic realism? Well, I was sitting in a church, watching two candles that people lit for a specific purpose, and I noticed how these candles seemed to take on the characteristics of playful humans. The candles were iconic representations of human need, sharing an inanimate form of delight in a setting that was meant to be solemn and prayerful. This activity, in turn, captured my attention, brought me immediately to my knees, and lifted my heart to furtively pray for the two people who lit those wicks hours before I arrived.   

 

Two Candles Burning

 

Two candles burn

dripping wax

in a molten dance

of devotion and delight

caressing the air,

amusing, antagonizing

in mischievous coalition.

Flames pulsate

in a zephyr's wave

like birds with fluttering,

flickering wings 

and entwine mid-air.

Two guests, having left the pews

leave with their prayers 

still swirling through the air.

Imploring with solicitude

as the reflective waxen fervor

blends with my own petitions,  

I kneel and add their hopes to mine, 

trusting the prayers will be answered 

in God's Time.

 

© Jeanne I. Lakatos

 

Sydney Owenson's Application of the Semiotic Theory of Iconic Realism

My Book

 

The following is from the first chapter of my book: 

Woven from the threads of disenfranchisement and enchantment, Owenson's writing captures the semiotic essence of the philosophically and politically inspired Romantic era, in which the grand is intentionally written to be grander in terms of style, topics and themes, where literary characterizations align with political forces to challenge the core of that which comprises a civil society.

The field of semiotics defines the significance of meaning in terms of its relative interpretations by Owenson’s audiences. Based on its historical and philosophical frames of reference, an audience assigns a variety of interpretations to any piece of literature. As Mario J. Valdés asserts, “The meaning we construe to any statement or any text is tentative; indeterminacy is controlled by a system of signs we accept as determinate in order to establish a temporary identity to the text.” [1]

In alignment with this thought, Owenson’s readers interact with her as author and interpret the material independently of each other, yet in a way that is inclusive of the history and culture of all parties. These inclusive qualities of specific communities comprise the basis for the establishment of certain elements to be identified as iconic.

Iconic representation of literature within any community develops from that community’s awareness of the connection between the writer’s endeavour and human consciousness. When the community understands that each writer is contributing to the possible transformation of thought, fresh ideas offer the possibility for growth in the potential for change. 

Reform occurs when the community also understands the historicity of the artists’ renderings in correlation with the current status of the community’s mind-set. Eventually, the cultures within a community, inclusive of the writers and those who comprise the audience, form a semiotic alliance that incorporates the language, philosophy, and history of the culture. Once these elements align, a tolerance emerges that provides opportunity for innovation.... (pp.18-19)

[1] Mario Valdés,  Hermeneutics of Poetic Sense: Critical Studies of Literature, Cinema, and Cultural History (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1998) p.15.

Imre Madách's "The Tragedy of Man," Arthur Griffith's "The Resurrection of Hungary: A Parallel for Ireland", and Iconic Realism

Dissonance is an avenue to creative expression for change, indicated in Imre Madách's play and Arthur Griffith's book, The Resurrection of Hungary: A Parallel for Ireland.

In his 1860 play, "The Tragedy of Man," Imre Madách uses iconic realism to illustrate cultural awareness of the value in humanity's ability to understand the simple gifts of our Lord.  He questions societal expectations by moving his audience through a journey of social outcry against pettiness in his depictions of Adam, Eve and Lucifer, entangled in episodic adventures that transcend historical boundaries.

They travel to ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt, the middle ages, and London. Madách’s radical, textual dissent against the provincial establishment reveals his personal truth by eliminating story line constrictions of time and space. He deliberately places Adam and Eve in these unusual settings for this couple to illustrate that the journey of self worth and independence includes the worthiness of nation, beginning with the attainment of self-knowledge. He presents Eve as the mother of humanity, with the conviction that her children will move humanity forward in their quest for true knowledge. Similarly, Madách holds onto the hope that his Hungary would develop autonomy and maintain its unique culture and language.  

In his 1918 book, The Resurrection of Hungary, Arthur Griffith writes, “Ireland’s heroic and long-enduring resistances to the destruction of her independent nationality were themes the writers of Young Hungary dwelt upon to enkindle and make resolute the Magyar people” (xxiv). Griffith’s association of Ireland and Hungary illustrates that artists living within the contrived constraints of both of these countries use the power of a dissonant pen to motivate their reading audiences to make positive choices.