Scent, Language, and Memory

By Anonymous -
Deborah Green explained the importance of metaphor, simile, and metonym in describing scents, because of the connection with emotional reaction.  In the Song of Songs, she states, “we must assess the scent comparisons and even the emotions they may evoke, completely and on their own terms, however difficult this may be” (85).  The link between the words shemen (oil) and shem (name) is important as the name of the individual and fragrances are not mentioned, rather the words discuss flowing oil.  By using the word shemen, a metaphor is used to generate a connection between scented oil and the lover.  This metaphor also indicates that that both the name and fragrance of their lover’s perfume is pleasing.  By using scent, the woman is able to yearn for her lover when he is not present by recalling his perfume, indicating a seductive aspect to fragrance.  Scent becomes erotic through references to spices, flowers, and even vines, because they are used to describe a lover. 



            Green’s writings connected to the presentation on Smell we had last week from Dr. Rachel Herz, particularly the connection between scent and memory.  Green expresses the subjective ways that language is structured and generated to discuss scent and fragrance.  The link between scent and the limbic system allow the retention of memories linking to scent, creating emotional reactions.  It is easier to express and discuss these emotional reactions by using metaphor, simile, and metonym, thus this is how we can talk about scent.  The memory of a scent is also linked directly to the object, which allows a reader to visualize the physical object that is “associated with the aroma, provided her or she has smelled it before” (86).  Dr. Herz’s discussion of the close link between taste and smell is reflected in the writings of Green, specifically the differences between bad and good smells.  The scents that are used to describe a lover are spicy, floral, and sweet (words such as honey).  I believe this furthers the importance of language and understanding scent, as we seem to continually search for ways to better understand and discuss fragrances. 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Amidst the Pandemic

By -
Image
I think having the opportunity to take Smells and Bells and then experiencing a worldwide pandemic came with good timing. Oftentimes, we’re so rushed to get from one one place to another that we miss out on what happens around us. We’re so accustomed to the lifestyle of being busy that it has become the norm for many of us. However, the pandemic has forced us to slow down. We’re now appreciating everything that we had previously taken for granted and noticing things in our surroundings that we have never noticed before.  Take this quarantining/social distancing as an opportunity to be more aware of what you experience through the senses. I don’t think my senses have necessarily heightened over the past 5 weeks, but I am actively making the choice to pay more attention to what I see, hear, touch, taste, and smell. I like going on nature/mindfulness walks and basking in the sunshine out in my backyard. This morning, I could hear a faint noise from the wind, hear the birds chirping, f
Read more

Food in the Afterlife

By -
Image
In Religion in the Kitchen: Cooking, Talking, and the Making of Black Atlantic Traditions , Perez talks of Ashabi and her grandchildren providing food offerings to their ancestors. This immediately reminded me of the practice of food sacrifice in early China. I've taken Chinese language classes for about 7 years now and in one of the lessons, we learned about food as well as the history of food in Chinese culture. Ashabi and her grandchildren would give food offerings to their ancestors every day. This included nine beverages (coffee, liquor, and water mixed with sugar and molasses) and nine square pieces of coconut topped with red palm oil and guinea pepper. The offerings would also include whatever food was dropped on the ground. In their house, food dropping on the floor signified more than it would in common American households. It signified that the ancestors wanted that food and had willingly made it fall to the floor. They also used dishware that had been chipped which was
Read more