I came across two words the other day...."scent" and "stench".
Although they seem to be referring to the same thing - "an aroma in the air, which can be detected through scent" - they imply very different meanings.
At their basest understanding "scent" is a more positive and inviting description. It says "smell with me!"
On the other hand, "stench" is negative and can be tagged with adjectives such as "putrid," "foul," "stinking," and "rank".
These two words can serve as evidence to an idea that has been stressed over many years - and that is that language in itself is an allegory.
We use words to represent things, whether paintings or actions, and as a result, create a more abstract understanding of these 'things'. However, over time semantics have developed and now there is a common understanding of words and what they meaning, what it acceptable and what they cannot refer too - context.
Thus, is my concern with expression in writing. How well are we actually expressing ourselves? How well are those who are reading actually understanding our emotions?
The aim for writers, is to evoke a feeling whether awareness or simply goose flesh from their readers, so although they may not know exactly what it is the writer is feeling - they know that something is being felt.
Coming to a mutual understanding between emotions that are so obscure (abstract thoughts, ideas) and telling it to someone is incredibly difficult. A common language can never be established - because we, as individuals, impose our own meanings onto "words."
Thus I choose to stand apart and say,
"That flower has a beautiful stench!"
Do you agree?
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1 comment:
I totally agree. Stench is got a negative connotation only because at some point in time intellectual people had to reserve it to express disgusting odours and to differentiate it from the word scent that was reserved for all the nice smelling things. But when i think about it, does stench really explain a disgusting smell? If so then my next problem is the word “disgusting”. What does “disgusting” exactly mean? And why do i have to perceive decomposing manure to be disgusting?! It’s incredible how much subconscious power these words actually carry, a person may not necessarily agree with all the definitions and yet he would be limited by his own language barrier just because it is commonly used.
If the language was constructed to limit us then perhaps the only way to break free beyond the limits of human perception is to suspend it word by word? What would happen then if from now on we start being aware, thus using stench instead of scent, etc? I bet angels will start reappearing.
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