Sydney Owenson: 'The Life and Times of Salvator Rosa,' Independence, and Education

Saint Francis in Ecstacy by Salvator Rosa

Courtesy of Google Art

From my book, Innovations in Rhetoric in the Writings of Sydney Owenson (Lady Morgan), p. 231

Sydney Owenson (Lady Morgan), a voice representing independent consciousness, does not discriminate between various forms of aristocratic domination and the voice of the common person. Where knowledge and awareness are concerned, she reveals her perspective of the truth as she illustrates in the following passage from her biographical sketch, The Life and Times of Salvator Rosa:

Knowledge, which is supremacy as long only as it is a monopoly, was then the exclusive possession of the clergy; and the intellectual disparity, which existed between the many and the few, long continued to be the instrument of delusions, of which ignorance inevitably becomes the dupe and the victim. (Owenson, The Life and Times of Salvator Rosa, p. 2)

Her purpose for writing evolves from her focus on bringing awareness of the global and historical significance of Ireland to a philosophical focus on the dissemination of knowledge to all thinking individuals. In the above passage, she points out an ‘intellectual disparity’ which exists between those who have been taught through intensive educational programs and, consequently, then use that education as an “instrument of delusion.” 

Even though she presents Rosa in a discrete manner, Owenson reveals her disdain for any totalitarian control over the human spirit, be it religious or governmental. She remains devoted to the concept of independent and critical thinking as the way for humanity to advance to an  elevated consciousness. Thus, her biography of Salvator Rosa is a statement on the evolution of human culture and the possibilities that exist when human beings utilize the knowledge they gain (educational experiences) in a positive way to enlighten others. 

Natural Order and Iconic Realism

I took this photo in Coole Park, County Galway, Ireland

If one were to gaze upon the photograph I have posted here, a sense of equality exists within the natural balance of the trees' trunks, for they vividly reflect the underground root system, the source of their immensely visual structures; yet, each tree is uniquely exposed by a natural Order. 

This illustrates the existence of iconic realism in the natural world in that it is unusual to see a tree's trunk and branches specifically revealing the source of its power. Usually, one would have to dig beneath the surface to see this, but as I walked beneath the branches of these enormous Irish evergreens, I could almost feel the life force surging from the unseen root systems below my feet.

What does this reveal in a cultural sense? Those leaders that become the most powerful, whether in government, business, education, or the arts, acknowledge that the source of their power exists within the 'root' of their successful endeavors, originating from that which flourishes from below the surface, "endowed by their Creator..."  

Sydney Owenson's (Lady Morgan's) "The Musical Fly and William Blake's "The Fly"

                

 
Photos above:

 Left: Sydney Owenson (Lady Morgan) with harp, compliments of NY Public Library

Right: the-fly-shapiro.webp from Google Images

Below is an excerpt from a paper presented at the Association for Franco-Irish Studies, Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, Ireland: 

In Sydney Owenson's poetic collection, Lay of an Irish Harp,  her chapter titled, “The Musical Fly,” renders a quote in French: “De pouvoir sans nous ennuyer Eterniser une bagatelle,” which translated into English generally states, “We cannot perpetuate a trifle annoyance.” Her poetic rendition continues with the tale of a fly’s encounter with the silent strings of a harp and an allusion to William Blake’s “The Fly” (See Blake's poem below.)

In the third stanza, she writes: 

Not seem’d unconscious of the charm
That lurk’d in every silent string
For oft the little vagrant swept

               O’er every chord his lucid wing. 

A fly not only is an insect that displays independence, but the word, fly, is both transitive and intransitive, with multiple meanings, all of which are related to transcendence. This fly, then, could be representative of independence. While Blake’s fly has an inevitable brush with death, “For I dance/And drink and sing, /Till some blind hand/Shall brush my wing,” Owenson’s fly, with a touch of its lucid wing, flirts with the silent strings of the Irish harp, a symbol of Ireland, and manages to create a resonance with the origins of the harp’s music. 

Both writers use a melodic format with metaphoric representations of the human aspiration for independence and the complexity that occurs when this spirit interacts with annoying governmental and societal dictates. Both poets elucidate for their audiences the dire consequences associated with submission to an overt power. 

Whereas Blake’s fly dances until it receives its fatal blow, Owenson’s fly dances to silent strings. Hers lives in a paradox that illustrates her desire to convince those in the British government, who could create the true music to allow their constituents to experience a reality based on tolerance, but choose instead to manage their constituents like that of the insect-vagrant, whose truth consists of momentary felicity. 

Owenson’s careful choice of lexicon in her poetic representation of independence reveals the antagonism that echoes throughout Irish history, like the strings of her harp, often resonating in a cultural vacuum of silence. 

***********************************************************

The Fly 

by William Blake

Little fly,

Thy summer’s play

My thoughtless hand

Has brushed away.

Am not I

A fly like thee?

Or art not thou

A man like me?

For I dance

And drink and sing,

Till some blind hand

Shall brush my wing.

If thought is life

And strength and breath,

And the want

Of thought is death,

Then am I

A happy fly,

If I live,

Or if I die.

The Tiny Hand of Samuel Armas (In honor of Respect for Life )

Photo from Google Images

In 1999, Michael Clancy captured on film the little hand of Samuel Armas, held here by Vanderbilt University Hospital surgeon, Dr. Joseph Bruner. The iconic element here is the hand of the human fetus, for it represents life, innocence, and complete vulnerability.

This is an excellent example of iconic realism in photography, for one usually would not think that the connection between a 21 week old human in the womb and a surgeon could physically take place in this manner. See how the tiny hand grasps the finger of the surgeon, illustrating the need for human touch even when the baby is in the mother's womb!

One cultural dilemma that this photograph reveals is that even though there exist limitations and possibilities of medical science,  the beauty in the touch of a human hand is a divine statement that life is precious and can be meaningful from the womb... before birth.

"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee..." (Jeremiah 1:5) kjv

The Great Escape movie and Iconic Realism

The Great Escape movie poster from 'Duck Duck Go' Images

Once, I was channel surfing and landed on The Great Escape, a 1963 film directed by John Sturges. I couldn't help but notice that this film illustrates the semiotic theory of iconic realism in that the audience perceives icons of both freedom and constraint through the character representations of the Allied prisoners of WWII and the German gestapo. 

As the film progresses with bucolic settings that also provide a perception of freedom, only to be constrained by the Nazi forces, the viewer becomes poignantly aware of freedom and its multiple forms. In the end, those characters who are still alive, question their need for physical freedom from the p.o.w. camp as they learn to appreciate their spiritual, intellectual, and emotional autonomy. 

To hear me read this, please click HERE.

Tyree Guyton's 'Heidelberg Project' and Iconic Realism (Click this title to view more information)

Tyree Guyton, photo from Google Images

Soles of Detroit photo from Google Images

A while ago, I was channel surfing and happened upon a series of shows on the Green Planet channel entitled, "Detroit in Overdrive." Well, having been born and raised through my 14th year of life in the fine Metro Detroit area, I just had to watch these shows. And they brought tears to my eyes. One particular story, which focused on Tyree Guyton's Heidelberg Project, immediately struck me, for it was a perfect demonstration of iconic realism. Thank you, Tyree! 

Mr. Guyton has assembled a collection of iconic items that many people had discarded, including houses in his neighborhood. He applied his artistic talent to breathe life into the objects while simultaneously illustrated to those blessed with viewing this project with an awareness of possibility. He has turned blight into right! His juxtaposition of trash turned into art, in the midst of a forgotten and neglected neighborhood, demonstrates the cultural renaissance that is taking place in Detroit through the creative perseverance of dedicated individuals. 

Another fascinating aspect of this project centers on shoes. Mr. Guyton has collected shoes of all shapes and sizes, restored and newly painted by the members of the community. He has arranged those works of art in the middle of a street, providing his audience with an awareness of Detroit's restored soles as a visual testimony of the soulful restoration that occurs when dedication to the creativity and energy of a community transforms that community's heart and vitality. God bless you, Tyree Guyton! Onward!

William Butler Yeats' poem, "Fragments," and Iconic Realism

I took this photo of a stone etching, commemorating Yeats at Coole Park, Ireland.

Fragments

by William Butler Yeats

I

LOCKE sank into a swoon;

The Garden died;

God took the spinning-jenny

Out of his side.

II

Where got I that truth?

Out of a medium's mouth.

Out of nothing it came,

Out of the forest loam,

Out of dark night where lay

The crowns of Nineveh.

The following is an excerpt from my book: 

In his poem, “Fragments,” Yeats rejects the icon of Christian philosopher, John Locke, and insinuates that mankind may not be “inherently good,” for “Locke sank into a swoon” (l.1) In lines 2-4, he writes, “The Garden died;/God took the spinning-jenny/Out of his side.” Since the spinning jenny enabled laborers to produce many more skeins of yarn, this allowed for the presence of many ‘yarns.’ His play on words creates the yarn. God (Jesus), the male icon of Christianity, has removed the tales of faith, the sins for which He was crucified. 

The last stanza provides a reality of the truth, which emanates from a non-Christian source, a medium, then, “Out of nothing it came,” from the Book of Genesis, the beginning of time, and the source of God. He follows this with the pagan version of truth, “Out of the forest loam,” the most fertile, lowest part of the forest floor, where nutrients for the forest thrive. Finally, truth comes “Out of dark night where lay/The crowns of Nineveh.” Here, darkness reveals only ignorance, silence, no words of wisdom, and the source of superficiality. 

Yeats juxtaposes the iconic with realistic in this poem to question the mystery of human faith, [and to illustrate the strength of human spirit that exists only with God's help.] He moves the reader along his wave of resonating artistic flow, for the next poem in this series is “Leda and the Swan,” his iconic poem that alludes to the rape of Leda in order to illustrate polar opposites in human consciousness.

Einstein's Theory of Relativity and Iconic Realism

painting by William Rock, Chinese calligraphy by Huang Xiang

“The eclipse of May 29, 1919 confirmed Einstein’s theory that the light could be bent by the gravitational force of the sun. An English expedition in the area of the eclipse have actually measured the deflexion of starlight from the sun. The data of the expedition was presented to a special joint meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society and the Royal Society of London on November 6, 1919." 

(Dr. Ljubo Vujovic, Secretary General, Tesla Memorial Society of New York)

This scientific event held at the conclusion of WWI illustrates iconic realism in the media. Albert Einstein, an icon of the scientific community, received confirmation of his theory of relativity through data collected by an English expedition. The manner which this event illustrates the theory of iconic realism is as follows:

1. Germany and England were iconic enemies during WWI.

2. Representatives from both countries were present at a scientific conference.

3. This meeting or juxtaposition led to a united elevation of scientific awareness.

Ironically, twenty years later, this same peace activist urged President Roosevelt to begin research into the production of the atomic bomb as a means to bring a quick end to WWII. And we all know the rest of that narrative.

Work cited: 

Vujovic, Dr. Ljubo. Albert Einstein (1879-1955). Tesla Memorial Society of New York. http://www.teslasociety.com/einstein.htm

Sydney Owenson's "Lay of an Irish Harp," Politics, and Iconic Realism

Sydney Owenson (Lady Morgan) 

The cover photo of my book from New York Public Library

Excerpt from my paper, read at the Association for Franco-Irish Studies conference in Dublin, Ireland:

In her 1807 lyrical collection, Lay of an Irish Harp, Sydney Owenson uses the iconic imagery of a harp to scrutinize the resonating cry for enlightened human consciousness shortly after the Act of Union 1801 has been enforced. She illustrates the harmonics of human intellect surrounding the Irish message of perseverance in times of hardship and indignity suffered when human rights are ignored, using rhythmic structure within her poetics and iconic allusions through intricate semiotic fusion of philosophy and history. According to her memoirs, Owenson’s aspiration was as follows: 

...to make my native country better known, and to dissipate the political and religious prejudices that hindered its prosperity…Neither lovers, friends, nor flatterers, ever turned my attention from the steady, settled aim of my life-- and that was to advocate the interest of my country in my writings…        

When enlightenment merely reflects the ignorance of cultural bias, the abrasive consciousness of society suppresses creative exploration and moves into a mire of lost intentions and spiritual limitation. Owenson begins a personal quest to enlighten her contemporaries of a plausible if not impossible endeavour for the Irish and the British to maintain a semblance of harmony in Ireland. She uses the aural traditions of harp music and the power in lyrical structure to express innovative concepts through the traditional aural experiences of narratives and music.  Kate Bowan and Paul Pickering remark: 

Music is central to the formation of identities whether national, ethic, religious, or political as it can by virtue of being a social activity, include or exclude, and is open to countless reshaping and re-articulations in various contexts.

Thus, Owenson’s literary works demonstrate an iconic vision in the midst of dissonance, as she focuses her reading audience’s attention on discordant elements within nineteenth century Irish society that need transformation. 

Note: A 'lay' or 'lai' is a medieval lyrical poem. Some believe that the word 'lay' originates with the Old High German word, 'leich,' which means a play, melody, or song. 

Edvard Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite: Music and Iconic Realism

Click HERE to view a rendition of Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite Number I, Opus 46

         A delicate melody flows from a flute. One by one, the oboe, then strings, echo this melody until the orchestra swells with the soft, yet intensely resonating melody. Eventually, every section of the orchestra sings this song of peaceful resolve, as the audience awakens to Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite Number 1, Opus 46.  Grieg introduces the gentlest instruments of the orchestra and gradually blends in the strength of the entire string and brass sections with a calm resonance a listening audience could associate with morning sunrise. Grieg’s opus illustrates iconic realism as each member of the audience attends to this aural depiction of the dawn of something within its consciousness, interpreting possibility in variation with a theme.

       Iconic structures in music include those resonating mechanisms that represent a specific sound source recognized by a community. These aural sources could include human made instruments, the human voice or natural sounds common within a specific environment. For example, the oboe is a wind instrument that produces sounds very close in frequency and intensity to the human voice. In many baroque pieces of music, which were composed during the enlightenment of human culture, the oboe is a featured instrument, which establishes the iconic nature of the oboe within a musical piece constructed of other wind instruments.

         Since the human voice would not naturally be situated in a musical ensemble, the placement of this icon for the human voice provides the listener an opportunity to attend to this iconic realism within the musical genre of artistic expression and feel the dissonant harmonics that naturally resolve to consonance when the oboe blends with the instrumentation. This aural exercise incorporates resonating sound waves with the listener’s memory, which leads to an interpretation of the sound and thus, the association of significant meaning to the specific sound. 

(from my book, The Theory of Iconic Realism: Understanding the Arts through Cultural Context)

Sociolinguistic Style of Sydney Owenson's Writing and Iconic Realism

Plaque commemorating Sydney Owenson (Lady Morgan)

on Kildare Street, Dublin, Ireland

From both my second book and an ACIS Mid-Atlantic/New England Regional Conference presentation:

Iconic realism is the placement of a realistic and iconic figure juxtaposed to another realistic iconic example to enlighten an audience of the need for cultural transformation. Sydney Owenson (Lady Morgan) uses her personal experience and historical research to demonstrate revolutionary rhetoric through application of character role reversals, class discrepancies, and linguistic variations, all of which illustrate the need for societal transformation within various regions of nineteenth-century Ireland. 

For example, in the preface of her essay entitled, Absenteeism, she highlights the need for both the English and the Irish to be mindful of their patriotic responsibilities: 

“Notwithstanding the intense interest which is felt throughout all England concerning Ireland and Irish affairs, notwithstanding the frequent debates in parliament, and more frequent pamphlets and volumes published on points of Irish politics and economy, the prevailing ignorance on these subjects still operates powerfully in maintaining prejudices the most unfounded and the most fatal, and in retarding those measures of wisdom and of justice without which Ireland can never be happy; or the British Empire secure.” (Absenteeism pp. ix, x)

In this statement, Owenson demonstrates the commonality between the authority, England, and the respective community of Ireland, as she begins with the phrase, ‘notwithstanding the intense interest which is felt…’ She engages in the assertive use of negative phraseology linked with a deferential passive voice to unite the divergent intentions of England and Ireland. 

Her decision to carefully select the grammatical configuration of passive voice hints at her concern over absenteeism and indicates that she is stepping back to show respect for authority while she remains specific in her focus on the negative effect that this course of action has on the Irish citizenry.  She concludes this paragraph with a series of negative phrases that focus on the dire consequences if both Ireland and England do not consider the elimination of cultural bias. 

Through her sociolinguistic style of including Irish language and political tones with her enlightening observations of the English treatment of the Irish, she creates a sense of balance in a revolutionary manner that clashes with various societal levels, using iconic realism to juxtapose history with societal expression to bring about an awareness of the need for societal cohesion. 

Iconic Realism in the Medieval Narrative Poem, Roman de la Rose

“The Dance in the Garden”

by Pavane, illumination from Roman de la Rose, Toulouse, early 16th century, 

in the British Library (Harley MS 4425, fol. 14v)

From my book, The Theory of Iconic Realism..., p. 47:

The medieval poem Roman de la Rose, written by Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun in the 13th century, takes place in a medieval garden and represents the experience of love and desire through the dream of a twenty-year-old man. The authors use allegorical characters such as Reason, Envy, Genius, Old Age, Fair Welcome, and the god of Love to advise this young lover, as he discovers his inner motivation and develops needed courage to seek the desire of his heart in the form of a beautiful rose. Within the poetics of Roman de la Rose the writers have interwoven ideals that pertain to intuitive thought by associating visual iconography with the lexicon it illustrates. 

The rose represents a young woman in the setting of a realistic medieval castle. Although the authors create an aristocratic presentation of courtly love by the placement of the rose in this garden as a young man’s desirous fantasy, the reality is that a young man would not likely fall in love with a flower. However, the writers situate a sense of game playing with the semantics of the text and image, transporting the telling of this tale as a primary source of entertainment and enlightenment of designated cultural restraints within an aristocratic community, utilizing iconic realism as a source of enlightenment for their audience. This enlightenment involves the medieval male audience recognizing the sensitivities and complex thinking of the women in their lives. 

Jane Eyre and Iconic Realism

(Click HERE  to view the final scene from this 2006 BBC production of Jane Eyre.)

Charlotte Brontë's novel, Jane Eyre, illustrates the theory of iconic realism in that her title character, Jane, depicts a young woman who, although abused as a child, manages to maintain her inner strength and dignity as she responsibly carries out her iconic role as an honest, humble governess while placed in the midst of wealth and deceit. Through this character, Brontë brings awareness to her audience of the complex emotions and intelligence within the human mindset. Stalwart Jane, the epitome of inner strength, becomes the lens through which her former master, blinded in a fire, ultimately perceives and strives to understand his world. 

Brandon Balengee, Bio-Artist, and Iconic Realism (Click onto this title to see and hear Brandon Balengee discuss his research/art.)

Here, Brandon Ballengee, artist and scientist, collaborates with communities around the world to bring awareness of environmental change. His source is the iconic feature of ancient civilizations, the pond. Ballengee's research follows the phenomena of mutation in the amphibian populations worldwide. Then, he uses his skill as an artist to create awareness of this biological variance, focusing his audience's attention on environmental transformation.

How does this relate to Iconic Realism? 

 1: Iconic natural pond

 2: Scientific research of pond creatures within the pond

 3: This brings audiences to awareness of the importance of clean water sources

An added feature here is taking the scientific research and turning it into an art form, again, to bring awareness of the need for environmental stewardship.  

Click the link below to see and hear Brandon at work: 

Sydney Owenson's Writing and Iconic Realism: Spiritual Connection Between Humanity and Natural Law

An excerpt from my book: 

Owenson acknowledges the spiritual connection between humanity and natural law, a common theme occurring in Goethe’s works. In one of his conversations with Johann Peter Eckermann, he explains:

Freedom consists not in refusing to recognize anything above us, but in respecting something which is above us; for, by respecting it, we raise ourselves to it, and, by our very acknowledgment, prove that we bear within ourselves what is higher, and are worthy to be on a level with it. [1]

Owenson, then, incorporates the Romantic concept of nature’s influence on humanity’s intellectual actions while she introduces the reality of political and societal constraints through many of her characters’ struggles with self-awareness. Through this conflict, Owenson personifies the dichotomous nature of glory in which her birth nation struggles with true autonomy and its native glór (voice) to be heard. Owenson’s romantic, graceful style of writing demonstrates iconic realism through the interactions of her characters, placed in unique situations, as she awakens her society to effective conflict resolution that begins with the self.

---

[1] Johann Goethe, quoted in Conversations of Goethe with Johann Peter Eckermann, translated by John Oxennford, edited by J.K. Moorhead (New York: Da Capo Press, 1998), p. 157.

'Blind Girl at a Holy Well...' by Frederic W. Burton and Iconic Realism

Below is an excerpt from a paper I was beginning to present at a New England Regional Meeting of the American Conference for Irish Studies. Unfortunately, I came down with the Noro virus and had to leave the conference suddenly and drive across the entire state of Connecticut… sick as a dog. Ugh! What a memory… Anyway, enjoy this excerpt that I never was able to present completely. 

Blind Girl at a Holy Well - a Scene in the West of Ireland
Painting by Frederick William Burton

In Frederic William Burton's painting, Blind Girl at a Holy Well - a Scene in the West of Ireland, we could broaden our interpretation to consider who Burton was representing through this young, blind girl. Notice that the younger girl serves as blind girl's ‘eyes.’  Through the establishment of the iconic figure of a blind girl within the mind-set of the community, Burton places this icon in a new reality that the community does not usually accept as the normal setting for this iconic figure: a blind girl gathering water at a well. This placement allows the artist to make a statement that brings awareness to the community’s consciousness of an aspect within its culture that may need some attention. 

In Burton's painting, the commonplace figures become associations of those communal concepts to which many members can relate on a personal level: hope, industriousness and innocence, all of which he creates in the necessary function of gathering water. In Luke 6:39,  Jesus asks His disciples, "Can a blind person guide a blind person?" In this painting, the audience can "see" the necessity for others to help those, who are blinded, in the human act of quenching thirst, be that a physical, emotional, or political thirst.

Margaret Mitchell's Scarlet O'Hara and Iconic Realism (Click here to view a clip from the film, Gone with the Wind.)

Photo from Google Images

"As God is my witness, they're not going to lick me. 

I'll never be hungry again, nor any of my folks..."

Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, Gone with the Wind, beautifully illustrates the semiotic theory of iconic realism. She places a gentle young woman, raised on a southern plantation, in the midst of the American Civil War (or War of Northern Aggression, as they say south of the Mason-Dixon Line). Through this juxtaposition, Mitchell makes her audience aware of the need for perseverance to maintain one's dignity, personally and culturally.

In the scene above, Scarlet emerges from Tara, fatigued and tattered like a wilted magnolia blossom, but she slowly elevates herself as the horizon brightens. Her spirit breathes life back into this flower as a nation learns to cultivate the quality of innovation.

This novel was published in 1936, during the midst of the Great Depression when millions of Americans needed the kind of determination that the character, Scarlet O'Hara, exhibited. In addition, the interaction between the various characters throughout this novel illustrates a need for cultural reform on many levels.

James Joyce's Ulysses and Iconic Realism: Molly Bloom

Ha'Penny Bridge: Photo taken May, 2011

Below is an excerpt from a chapter, which I contributed to the book entitled, 

Breaking the Mould: Literary Representation of Irish Catholicism in Literature. 

James Joyce illustrates iconic realism by means of Victorian feminine perceptions throughout Molly Bloom’s soliloquy in the final chapter of his epic tale, Ulysses. Using stream of consciousness in a manner unparalleled at this novel’s publication, Joyce leads his audience to the entrance of the sphere of Molly’s mind, taking the reader to every crevice of her feminine consciousness. Joyce defies the social stigma of women during this era as he interweaves Molly Bloom’s expression of a unique feminine point of view.

Through Molly’s voice, he seeks answers to his own challenge with a feminine defiance of human weakness. The Ireland in which James Joyce lives is in the midst of revolution. As Joyce leaves his ancestral home, he allows his own genius to flourish. He sees the result of the male world’s design for women and seeks to illuminate the world with its significance. His personal associations with women frame the female portrait of Molly Bloom, as he places Molly in the midst of the Victorian era, with its focus on proper placement of gender roles, customs and even nations, carries the burden of living with this regimented philosophical point of view.

Joyce designs the person of Molly to reveal traits that originate from conventional Victorian male ideas of how a woman should act or think. Joyce writes Molly as one whose actions with a particular tendency to focus upon her sexual desires. Molly, like Ireland, is a contradiction of human spirit. On one hand, she is independent, wild, yet she depends on the ruler of her heart for identity. Nevertheless, Joyce uses outspoken behavior by Molly to reveal his personal hopeful desire for Ireland, one that seeks to declare independence from the established English Common law.

© Jeanne I. Lakatos

Definition of the Semiotic Theory of Iconic Realism

Note: Occasionally, I post this to let any reader know what my semiotic theory actually is. Hope this brings some clarity for you. Cheers! 

Definition of the Semiotic Theory of Iconic Realism

by Jeanne I. Lakatos

Realism comprises authentic and independent aspects of the natural world, which individuals comprehend through sensory perception. The term icon describes a realistic person or realistic object, categorically perceived by a population as representative of a specific human activity or an object that bears significance to human activity. Iconic realism, then, involves the placement of an icon within the midst of a unique realistic setting, out of place for this particular icon, creating a static coalescence of the icon with the designated realism. Since both the icon and the realistic setting represent an aspect of the culture, the resulting friction between these two entities is the catalyst that generates enlightenment of a cultural dilemma. 

I used visual examples of iconic realism as the cover photos for my books, pictured below.
(Book #3 is forthcoming.)

Bostonian, Mercy Otis Warren, "Muse of the American Revolution"

Mercy Otis Warren, photo from cover of book:

Mercy Otis Warren: The Muse of the American Revolution

Mercy Otis Warren was born in 1728 in Boston, Massachusetts. Her father was a successful businessman and an acquaintance of John Adams and his family and circle of friends. Warren observed the intensity with which her contemporaries had to live in order to receive the dignified respect that any human being would rightly expect to receive. Within her plays and essays, she included the concept of human rights advocacy and relevant themes of independence, juxtaposed with iconic characters and structures to bring awareness to her audience of the need for social and political transformation.

For example, in her 1773 play, The Adulateur, Warren described the issue of individual rights through the speech of her main character, Brutus:

            The change how drear! The sullen ghost of bondage

            Stalks full in view—already with her pinions,

            She shades the affrighted land—the insulting soldiers

            Tread down our choicest rights; while hoodwinked justice

            Drops her scales, and totters from her basis.

            Thus torn with nameless wounds, my bleeding country
            Demands a tear – that tear I’ll freely give her. 


[1] Mercy Otis Warren, The Adulateur, Act I, Scene I, Boston: New Printing Office, 1773.

        

The Epiphany, Charles Wesley's Hymn "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," and Iconic Realism

 "Adoration of the Magi" by Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640). 

Image: Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lyon, France

The Epiphany: 

The Epiphany is the Christian celebration of the Infant Jesus and recognition of His divinity as the three kings of the East present gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the Infant Jesus in the manger. Many have attached symbolic meanings to these gifts, and that is still up for discussion. However, this Biblical event does illustrate my semiotic theory of iconic realism in the following manner: 

1. A baby is born in a lowly place, surrounded by the warmth and comfort of His mother, father, and domestic barn animals. 

2. The baby and His family receive elite visitors, who had followed a star leading to this location. They kneel and worship the infant in this lowly place. Then, they present Him with extravagant gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These are not the usual gifts given to a newborn infant. 

3. This presentation illustrates the juxtaposition of Divinity and humility. Thus, through humble means, people can accept Divine Love and find purpose within their lives. 

***************************************************************************

The hymn, "Hark the Herald Angels Sing:'

In the mid-eighteenth century, Charles Wesley wrote lyrics to hymns that Christians sing to this day. His hymns are instructive and relevant to the daily journey in which we engage. The 1739 hymn, "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," is often sung in churches after Christmas Eve, for this hymn explains the purpose of Jesus' birth. This hymn is an excellent one for the Epiphany because the lyrics describe the brilliant skies of Bethlehem after Jesus had been born, providing all with knowledge of God's light in each life, just as the Magi experienced as they greeted the newborn King with humility and grace. 

How does this Christmas hymn reflect iconic realism? 

1. Iconic angels sing in the evening skies, as they declare the "Glory to the newborn King" and these beings are seen by all those who look up into this glorious scene, including the lowliest of humanity. 

2. The lines, "Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; Hail the incarnate Deity," place this innocent baby in the  role of Godliness even at His birth, an unusual role for one at this time in His life. 

3. The final verse demonstrates the Divine purpose of His birth in the following lines: 

Light and life to all He brings
Ris’n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth

He will bring enlightenment, life, and healing through his patient and 'mild' mannerisms, for He was born to bring everlasting life, and to show humanity the fulfillment of the 'second birth,' in current terms, being  born again.

'Hark the Herald Angels Sing' 
A hymn written by Charles Wesley, 1739

Hark the herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled”
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:
“Christ is born in Bethlehem”
Hark! The herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Christ by highest heav’n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin’s womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris’n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Wisdom from Saint Seraphim of Sarov and the Great Outdoors

Saint Seraphim of Sarov, monument in Kurskaya Oblast, Russia.

I've always enjoyed observing and interacting with the wildlife that surround me. I whistle with the birds, hoot with the owls, clear dead leaves, branches, and twigs for the sprouting flowers and other vegetation, readying them for the bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds soon to arrive. Each season can be a joyful time of the year.

Through the wisdom of Saint Seraphim of Sarov, we can learn to live in harmony with the world around us by observing the creatures who share our Earthly experience with us. As far as iconic realism goes, we humans, who have been blessed with spirit and the ability to discern life with a high level of intelligence, can learn how to live well from the 'lesser,' yet often wiser, creatures as we appreciate the outdoors, juxtaposed with the homes of the wildlife.  

His feast day is January 2. To learn more about Saint Seraphim, click HERE .

Words of Wisdom from Saint Seraphim of Sarov

Drink water from the spring where horses drink. The horse will never drink bad water.

Lay your bed where the cat sleeps.

Eat the fruit that has been touched by a worm.

Boldly pick the mushroom on which the insects sit.

Plant the tree where the mole digs.

Build your house where the snake sits to warm itself.

Dig your fountain where the birds hide from heat.

Go to sleep and wake up at the same time with the birds – you will reap all of the day's golden grains.

Eat more green – you will have strong legs and a resistant heart, like the beings of the forest.

Swim often and you will feel on earth like the fish in the water.

Look at the sky as often as possible and your thoughts will become light and clear.

Be quiet a lot, speak little – and silence will come into your heart, and your spirit will be calm and filled with peace.

Happy New Year!

We have completed another revolution around the sun, bringing us in conjunction with our recent past experiences and plans that will unfold during the new year. Our intentions can work for the amelioration of ourselves as well as others in order to affect positive change. During the next few days, I will be spending some time in deep thought with a focus on bringing you some new examples of iconic realism throughout the coming year.  

Meanwhile, I wish all of you a pleasant, warm, and safe New Year’s celebration!

Cheers!