MY NAME MEANS THE SHAPE THAT I AM

vocalizing flute quartet

(2017)

 

          “My name means the shape I am” is a declarative statement spoken by Humpty Dumpty in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass. Though humorous in its context, it evokes a strong naturalist view of semiotics, and is a direct refutation of the popular ideas that Saussure theorized before it. Carroll is arguing that names, even words themselves, are not objectively communicable symbols. But individually, they encapsulate shapes, feelings, preferences, experiences, essentially an infinitude of meaning.

          My Name Means the Shape That I Am attempts to explore three subjects: this notion of name-encapsulation, the formulation of contrarian thoughts, and the sound world that exists between the voice and the flute.

 

"I don't know what you mean by 'glory,' " Alice said.

Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. "Of course you don't—till I tell you. I meant 'there's a nice knock-down argument for you!' "

"But 'glory' doesn't mean 'a nice knock-down argument'," Alice objected.

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less."

"The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things."

"The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master—that's all."

 

Alice was too much puzzled to say anything, so after a minute Humpty Dumpty began again. "They've a temper, some of them—particularly verbs, they're the proudest—adjectives you can do anything with, but not verbs—however, I can manage the whole lot! Impenetrability! That's what I say!