I have been thinking about our brief discussion of the power that language has to shape how we perceive things. I found the passage in "Fears in Solitude" strikingly contemporary. What happens to public perception when "all the dainty phrases for fratricide" are " Like mere abstractions, empty sounds to which / We join no meaning and attach no form!" (116, 118-119)? How did euphemisms control understanding after the French Revolution, according to the speaker in Coleridge's poem? How do they control how we think now?
N.B. The numbers in parenthesis are line numbers for the poem. That is how you cite poetry although it is a bit tough when you have to number the lines yourself!
18 comments:
The euphemisms used by the speaker in this poem were used to point out to the people the manner in which they were reacting to the deaths of the soldiers. The actual specific words of deaths were not used, but the speaker made sure the readers knew that he perceived a feeling of unattachment from them in regards to the deaths of the soldiers.
Today, we do the same thing. We use words that emphasize what we feel without actually using the harsh word that we may truly want to use. This is sometimes done for political reasons, but sometimes it is done in order to get our point across a little better.
DeMetra
It was a way people could speak about the war without shocking or upsetting anyone. It was their way of hiding from the truth because they couldn't handle it. It's like when you use a word you don't know to sound intelligent. You think by using this word you're impressing others and coming off as so smart. But really you're clueless just like the person you are speaking to is clueless. And so then, this person seeing the large word being used goes and uses it with someone else attempting to do the same thing you were doing. Maegan.
Euphemisms cushioned the realities of the French Revolution. The idea of calling a tragic event as something unclear in meaning) only pulls people apart. Coleridge makes point that those staying at home and those experiencing the Revolution, live on separate levels of understanding the whole of the matter. The French Revolution is a euphemism in itself because it's called a "Revolution," instead of a civil war (even another euphemism). "Revolution" gave the home stayers the concepts of idealism and equality. However, those actually in the revolution would attempt to end the war as quickly as possibly, to avoid future chaos like that of the Reign of Terror. Today, euphemisms most certainly control us and how we perceive ideas. For the simplest instance, when we kill pets, we "put them to sleep." This tactful wording allows many Christians to abstain from sin that goes with Sanctity of Life (if one believes it) and Thou Shalt Not Kill. The same similar wording is applied when we "pull the plug" on relatives who are on Life Support.
I agree with the first three Blogs posted. It makes sense about the whole not making it as bad as it seems. In this case, and in all cases of war, looking at the big picture calms the idea of killing many soldiers. This is done with just about everything that has a negative side of it. Many parents say my son or daughter died fighting for this country. The words chosen are of honor but maybe it is to bring peace to the parent that lost their child. I agree with Jeremy and putting to rest and pulling the plug. The greatest sin to a Christian is to kill, so to ease the idea of murder is important for a Christian. Religion was an import key during this time period, so to see many Christians kill for freedom most of been an issue. So they have to put killing thousands in a easier form to be okay with.
Coleridge’s euphemisms in the poem mask the harsh realities of what was going on during the French Revolution. During the war, the ground was covered in the blood spill of family members, friends, loved ones, and so on. The people who lived through the chaos of the war did not want to accept that as what was going on at the time because if they did, the realization that their pleasant and peaceful lifestyle will never be the same. They did not want to accept the true events so Coleridge decided to “soften” the pain and the suffering that was spreading across Europe in his poem. By revealing the grim and negative effects of the French Revolution, Coleridge at the same time used the euphemisms to help his readers understand without coming down so hard. I agree with Jeremy because euphemisms do control the way we take in news or actions that are absolutely difficult to deal with.
Millia
I feel like each of our responses are going to be slightly redundant of each other, euphemisms are used in order to soften difficult news. They were used by Coleridge to soften the intensity of the French Revolution. Today, euphemisms are used to soften rather intense news into something easier to hear as opposed to the blunt straight up facts.
As discussed in class, during the French Revolution, there were instances where so called "enemies" could have been friends at some local bar; however, during war, there was no such thing as friends, but fracticide (the killing of brotherhood). Euphemisms would cover this up so that it wouldn't have been seen or taken in as bad. After the French Revolution, knowing that so many died and the cruel ways of dying would not be an easy way to put it out there, which is why Coleridge finds it easier to have euphemisms hide the true reality behind it. Euphemisms easily control the way we think now in the exact same way! Some things may be too harsh to take in, that we use euphemisms to hide the true/harsh meanings behind them.
The French Revolution was brutal, and it seems that Coleridge sort of "softened the blow." All these deaths in the war, and the destruction in England made it hard to just blurt out all that has happened. That is where Coleridge comes in. He used euphemisms to sort of hide the the harsh truth.
People have a fear of saying the truth; people sugarcoat what they really want to say so that others will not be offended. By using the euphemisms people could talk about what was going on in the war without actually saying what was really happening. Maybe people used the euphemisms as a way to cope with what was going on during the time of the war. Others may have rationalized what was really happening by using the euphemisms. It also seemed that by using the euphemism that people become delusional to the warfare in order to live out their daily life.
Comment To Felicite Ruelas:
I like you using the word "Sugarcoat", because in my opinion, that word explains the use of euphemisms perfectly.
Again, we are still doing this today in our everyday conversations, and politicians and people in certain authoritive positions have to be able to use euphemisms regularly.
I think you also summed it up perfectly by saying that people became delusional to the warfare in order to live out there daily lives, they basically had to do whatever they could to cope with their surroundings.
DeMetra
People always fear the worst in a tragedy or event of war. The news always says different things a way to change the perspective of how we see things. They always hide the really bad things by using words differently or even different phrases. Euphemisms were used perfectly to hide the news about the French Revolution. Because of the violence and deaths, euphemisms would only create a vivid image not the true story. This kept the people from being scared.
War has always been a sensitive subject to people. So the speaker really seemed to just cusion the fact that soldiers die during war. Instead of just saying the statement it seemed to me that the speaker was trying to beat around the bush in a way to it would be subtle to others.
Comment to Dakota:
I totally agree with you Dakota when you said people are afraid to blurt out the truth. We all know from experience that sometime the truth hurts. It is sort of like what I said people “sugarcoat” or hide the truth so that others will not be offended. By covering up the truth with euphemism it makes it easier for people to deal with what is really going on during the war. I really like what you said about how by using the euphuisms to deliver the message “softens the blow” of the harsh realities of war.
Comment to Angel
I agree, Media or the government always had been trying to cover some of the news that the public doesn't want to hear or see. Even throughout the history various world leaders were using euphemisms in their wars, Hitler used to send incorrect information to the media from the Russian eastern front, and that created false image on the war between people. I think that euphemisms during French Revolution did well for the people; it helped them to see that the revolution wasn't that bloody and it only encouraged them to fight more.
Comment to Jeremy Beck
I completely agree with you about the way we use euphemisms today in the world. When you think about it, it seems like everyone is using them in one way or another in order to mask what they are really trying to say, politicians, lawyers, business executives, everyone essentially is hiding something. Or rephrasing something to help them sleep at night and feel less immoral about something they did. It seems like euphemisms are a gateway to propaganda; which is more or less blatantly lying to an entire population. All I'm saying is euphemisms seem like a slippery slope to get more and more complex and eventually stop making any sense at all.
Comment to Elise:
This is a very interesting notion that a poet would use euphemisms to please his audiences. I never really thought of it that way. It pulls me back to my own writing and the rules I play by to please more people who read it (i.e. no foul language and politically correct terms). Although it may be possible that the writer who uses euphemisms, is not a fan of euphemisms, but just wants to please his readers. I really would have to think about that one.
To Millia,
Total agreement with you. People did not want to know the reality to such war because it would worsen their happiness. I agree with you that euphemisms were used to, "soften", like you say, the reality of war. Euphemisms are what masked the reality that ones did not want to hear or talk about. And until this day, euphemisms are being used for same reasons, to "soften" things up.
Lisbeth
Euphemisms are used to make things sound less abrasive. When it comes to discussing war euphemisms are frequently used, even today, to keep the moral up among the public and even the soldiers. Talking about killing and war and aiming to make it sound less harsh, only sugar-coats the truth; it makes it sound like its not as bad as it is....especially using words like 'fratricide' makes killing sound more like a technical term and less of a horrible tragedy. Coleridge is trying to say euphemisms hide the truth and have no meaning.
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