Semiotic and Symbolic Aspects of Language in John Donne's Selected Poems

Abstract

Julia Kristeva's semiotic and symbolic poles of language deal with the affective and denotative aspects of language. Through the semiotic aspect of language, the inner desires and impulses are expressed whereas the linguistic and grammatical aspects are revealed through the symbolic aspect of language. These two poles of language are inseparable and their meaning can only be conveyed when juxtaposed. The current article will shed light on John Donne's three selected poems, A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning, The Canonization and The Good Morrow in the light of Kristeva's semiotic and symbolic. Through his poems, Donne expresses his love for his beloved through the language of poetry which allows the expression of unspeakable emotions. The paper will indicate how language of poetry and the two poles of semiotic and symbolic helped Donne to vocalize his inner self. As a result, metaphor, alliteration and other poetical devices which are part of the semiotic aspect of language, will be analyzed in these three selected poems.