Abstract
Words as signs and signatures – iconicity in poetic texts In this article aspects of iconicity in language and in poetic texts are discussed. The recent renewed interest in the anti-arbitrary debate is used as a point of departure in order to examine the iconic characteristics and the iconic functions of language and poetic texts. Some less known theoretic views on aspects of iconicity are mentioned and discussed. To underscore the theoretic discussion a few poems of the poet T.T. Cloete are analysed and interpreted focusing on iconicity. The most important conclusions which are once again put forward in the article are firstly that the functioning of poetic texts cannot be adequately described, analysed and interpreted according to logical semantic and linguistic systems alone and that the motivated or iconic origin and archetypical meanings in language can and may indeed play an important role in the production of meaning and secondly that the referential aspect of a text should not be neglected because text analyses of iconic poems once again underscore the view that referentiality indeed remains the basis of the production and communication of meaning.
Highlights
InleidingDie vraagstuk van representasie is en was nog altyd een van die kernprobleme van die taal- en literatuurstudie en het sedert die begin van die twintigste eeu net al hoe meer prominent geraak
In hierdie artikel word verskillende aspekte van ikonisiteit as ’n eienskap van taal en poëtiese tekste ondersoek
Dit word gedoen in die lig van die oplewing in die debat oor die ikoniese aard en funksionering van taal deur te verwys na verskillende teoretiese opvattings oor ikonisiteit
Summary
Die vraagstuk van representasie is en was nog altyd een van die kernprobleme van die taal- en literatuurstudie en het sedert die begin van die twintigste eeu net al hoe meer prominent geraak. Teorieë oor die ikoniese verhouding tussen taaltekens en hulle betekenisse – in die sin dat daar ’n ikoniese of gemotiveerde verhouding tussen taaltekens en betekenis veronderstel word – is met agterdog bejeën en het in die afgelope dekades bykans geen rol in die literêre gesprek gespeel nie. In hierdie artikel word eerstens aandag gegee aan die verskynsel van ikonisiteit in taal en in tekste soos wat dit deur spesifieke teoretici gesien word. Dit is nie ’n deurtastende teoretiese bespreking van ikonisiteit nie, maar poog om, in die lig van die herlewing van die anti-arbitrêre debat, enkele fasette van die ikoniese of gemotiveerde aard van taal en van tekste wat vir die lees van poësie nuttig is, uit te lig. In besonder sy gebruik van diagrammatiese ikonisiteit waar die gedig as ’t ware ’n lyntekening (’n diagram) beskryf, sodat daar van ’n uitgestelde of verplaasde proses van betekenisgenerering gepraat kan word.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
