La Fontaine Subé in Reims, France... "Let all your things be done in Love." (1 Corinthians 16:14)
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Introduction:

My photo
Current: Danbury, CT, United States
Welcome! A few years ago, I discovered an application that artists employ in their works to bring cultural awareness to their audiences. Having discerned this semiotic theory that applies to literature, music, art, film, and the media, I have devoted the blog,Theory of Iconic Realism to explore this theory. The link to the publisher of my book is below. If you or your university would like a copy of this book for your library or if you would like to review it for a scholarly journal, please contact the Edwin Mellen Press at the link listed below. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Announcements

I will present or have presented research on Sydney Owenson (Lady Morgan) or my semiotic theory of iconic realism at the following location(s):

2023-2025: I will be researching and writing my third book on iconic realism.

April 2022: American Conference for Irish Studies, virtual event: (This paper did not discuss Sydney Owenson.) "It’s in the Air: James Joyce’s Demonstration of Cognitive Dissonance through Iconic Realism in His Novel, Ulysses"

October, 2021: Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT: "Sydney Owenson’s use of sociolinguistics and iconic realism to defend marginalized communities in 19th century Ireland"

March, 2021: Lenoir-Rhyne University, Hickory, North Carolina: "Sydney Owenson (Lady Morgan): A Nineteenth Century Advocate for Positive Change through Creative Vision"

October, 2019: Elms College, Chicopee, Massachusetts: "A Declaration of Independence: Dissolving Sociolinguistic Borders in the Literature of Sydney Owenson (Lady Morgan)"

22 July, 2025

Flow from Within


I took this photo of the beautiful St. Stephen's Green in Dublin, Ireland.

Whilst deciding to post this 'flow' poem, little did I know that some of my own life experiences would correspond with the poem's theme, written years ago. This phenomenon is a fine illustration of our emotional revolutions. Even though our lives may go through certain trials and tribulations, through the blessings of Divine Love, I've realized, as this poem states, that we have the power within to "release the blissful flow," and I'm determined to do just that.

Flow from Within

Spewing angst 
from the odium,
I ache 
for benevolence
and tolerance 
to stream
 through this tarnished conduit,
praying for the chance to feel
agony evolve 
into opportunity,
releasing 
the blissful 
flow.

© Jeanne I. Lakatos


21 July, 2025

From my Operetta, Luminescence: Rhododendron (Dark Thoughts of Anne Sexton)


There exists a balance of positive and negative in life, and in my operetta, Luminescence, I address this through the spirit voice of Anne Sexton and her associated flower, Rhododendron.

               
                                          Photo from the site: Summerhillgardencentre.co.uk

Rhododendron: Dark Thoughts
(from my operetta, Luminescence)

From the corner of the garden,
a fierce wind buffets 
branches of the Rhododendron.
Now enters the looming danger 
of love’s despair.

Begonia, Narcissus,
and Southernwood
all bode a feeling of lost love
in the midst of this glorious
locus amoenus.

Anne whispers: 
Rhododendron is my flower’s name,
I bring dark thoughts
into this world of fragrance.
I make the lives of my seed
and the surrounding seeds
suffer as I do.

Humanity has attached meaning 
to our nature, proclaiming
that we ignore
the pleas of the world
within our hearts, 
so we suffer the association
with human frailties:
vanity, melancholy, heartbreak. 

But here in this garden, I now see: 
The beauty in our lives
does indeed surround us,
even in our darkest moments,
even in those isolated
hours of despair.

© Jeanne I. Lakatos


(To hear my reading of this poem, please click HERE.)

20 July, 2025

Ballerina

This was a prompt, based on a photo by Keith Carter, which you see below. An example of ekphrasis, you will see my poetic interpretation of Carter's work. 


Ballerina

She had dreams
of becoming a ballerina
but God had other plans
even though she maintained
beauty
discipline
kinesthetic poetry 
on stage.

Up in smoke they went...
forming an obscurity
from which her Truth emerged,
clarified, revitalized:
beauty
discipline
kinesthetic poetry 
in stages.

© Jeanne I. Lakatos

To hear my reading of this verse, please click HERE.



19 July, 2025

Mathematical Sets

photo from Google Images

Mathematical Sets
It all figures:
balanced equations
sets of added digits
occasionally subtracted
measured by common factors
multiplied by these too
percentages based on 
the configuration 
of a situated one
in relation 
to the core.

© Jeanne I. Lakatos

18 July, 2025

Sydney Owenson (Lady Morgan): 19th Century Revolutionary


Sydney Owenson sheds light on the status of the common man and woman in mid-nineteenth century Ireland and incorporates semiotic structures within her works to communicate with her readers the various discrepancies in legislation, particularly the Act of Union 1801, decades after its enactment. Although inequity in governmental legislation exists internationally, by 1825, the imbalance within the legislative structures is unacceptable to intelligent people associated with the British or the Irish aristocracy along with the increasing numbers of female writers and readers.

For example, in the preface of her essay entitled, Absenteeism, she highlights the need for both the English and the Irish to be mindful of their patriotic responsibilities:

Notwithstanding the intense interest which is felt throughout all England concerning Ireland and Irish affairs, notwithstanding the frequent debates in parliament, and more frequent pamphlets and volumes published on points of Irish politics and economy, the prevailing ignorance on these subjects still operates powerfully in maintaining prejudices the most unfounded and the most fatal, and in retarding those measures of wisdom and of justice without which Ireland can never be happy; or the British Empire secure. [1]

In this statement, Owenson demonstrates commonality between the authority, England, and the respective community of Ireland, as she begins with the phrase, ‘notwithstanding the intense interest which is felt…’ Thus, she engages in the use of negative phraseology linked with passive voice to unite the divergent intentions of England and Ireland.


[1] Sydney Owenson (Lady Morgan), Absenteeism, (London: Henry Colburn, 1825) pp. ix and x. For future reference within this study, the work will be cited as Abs.

17 July, 2025

Phonology



I took this photo of Sydney Owenson's plaque on Kildare Street in Dublin a few years ago.

On the topic of phonology or phonetics, the study of the way humans combine sounds to create linguistic patterns, I give you a brief excerpt from my book: Innovations in Rhetoric in the Writing of Sydney Swenson (Lady Morgan, 1781-1859) and below that, a poem I wrote entitled, Cognizance. Enjoy! 

Steven Pinker discusses the impact of phonology and semantics as individuals experience sensory connections in their formation of new concepts:    

The phonemes and syllables in a word contact their counterparts in memory piecemeal, more and more of them finding a match as the milliseconds tick by. As soon as all the pieces match some entry, the irregular form linked to the entry is fetched and shunted to the vocal tract. While the lookup is in progress, the inhibitory signal sent to the rule box gets stronger and stronger, and when all goes well, the rule is braked to a halt. [1]

At this point, the individual synapses in the brain connect the familiar sound with a specific memory. 



[1] Steven Pinker, Words and Rules: The Ingredients of Language, (New York: Harper, 2011), p. 130.

*****************************************************************

Cognizance (Alliterative Antics)

Jung's is collective
containing collaborative
but chaotic compositions
carefully calculated
to create clear cut
caricatures of cranial
cacophonies in crazy
and occasionally corny
creatures who care
about causes and effects.

But mine is coincidental, 
caught between 
casual and coiffure
occasionally quaint,
consistent and tranquil
cautious,  concerned
a creatively concocted 
course of action, 
convoking acquaintances
to collaborate and affect.

© Jeanne I. Lakatos

(To hear my reading of this poem, please click HERE.)

16 July, 2025

Your Smile - Votre Sourire



       
                                  This is a little patisserie in Rheims, France, 
                     where I had a lovely cup of coffee and an almond croissant. 


Your Smile                                                       Votre Sourire

I am alone                                                         Je suis seul.
but I am not lonely,                                         mais je n'ai pas de solitude,
for I have your smile                                       parce que j'ai votre sourire
in my heart.                                                      dans mon coeur.
Your love flows through me                          Votre amour, le courant a traversé moi 
with delightful enthusiasm                            avec l'enthusiasme ravissant,
as a cup of warm tea                                        comme une tassede thé chaud
in a French cafe                                                dans le restaurant du café en français
on a rainy day                                                   sur un jour de pluvieux
brings solace                                                     effectuer la consolation
and quiet laughter                                            et rire de calme
to my soul.                                                         a mon âme.

© Jeanne I. Lakatos                                       © Jeanne I. Lakatos

(To hear my reading of this poem on Pod-omatic in English and en Francais, click HERE.


15 July, 2025

A Long Sentence, Silence is.

Below is a poem inspired by a number of events involving my family and friends in which the long wait in a hospital sometimes has felt like a sentence. Waiting for word from medical staff on the outcome of a loved one leads to the mixed feelings of worry, loneliness and hope. I wrote this as one very long sentence with the subject Silence and the verb, is because in these moments, we gain strength in the silence. 

 
Coole Park, Ireland


A Long Sentence 

While moist eyes wait
for word of your condition,
inquiring of God 
if I will experience your vibrance again,
though the response is "I don't know,"
though I smile to hide my tears,
though my heart yearns to beat
with the rhythm of your joy,
waiting
for the word that brings hope
for the song of your smiles 
for your breath of “yes”
within is the silence 
of a long sentence
and outside:
the wind,
the rain,
a lone lea,
me,
then the sun.

© Jeanne I. Lakatos

(To hear my reading of this poem on Pod-omatic, click HERE.)

14 July, 2025

When in France...

                                         The view from a hotel room in Reims, France, taken some years ago.

A few years ago, I presented a paper at the annual Association of Franco-Irish Studies conference in Reims, France. Ever since I spoke that first French word in my ninth grade French class, I've longed to go to that country. Finally, decades later, my dreams came true but not without the unfortunate realization that there were no washcloths at my hotel. So.....


When in France

In a French hotel in la cité de Reims,
an American searches for a washcloth. 
Alas, she finds none in this room,
so she must make do. 
This is France after all.
Sparkling white tub beckons her.
“Okay, Okay!”
She turns the water handle to HOT
and gently pours shampoo into the steady stream,
splashing the rising water to create more bubbles.
Then, smiling, she steps into the steaming water,
now filled with mounds of fluffy, fragrant bubbles,
closes her eyes and whispers to the 13-year-old girl
sitting in a French class, south of Detroit, decades ago.
“Oui, Jeanne ... tu seras en France un jour.”

© Jeanne I. Lakatos

To hear me read this verse, please click HERE.

13 July, 2025

Ekphrasis: My poem, "Haven" and the Church of St. Stephen the Martyr

Below is a photo of the Church of St. Stephen the Martyr in Opotiki, New Zealand. This picture brought to mind the introduction to a collection of short stories that I will complete... one day. The poem accompanying this photo is a conversion of a portion of my prose introduction to poetic form.

Church of St Stephen the Martyr, Opotiki, ca 1910-1930
"I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
~ St. Stephen’s words at his theophany

Haven

They beckon 
the weary-hearted and calloused,
“Come and sit with me.”
Rows of empty pews
moor at a small altar,
each one anchored with a kneeler. 

Her candle lit,
she takes her usual seat
in the second row,
hoists the kneeler, 
then quietly moves it
to the wood floor,
genuflects in the Holy Presence, 
and blesses herself.

With eyes lowered,
she steers her troubled vessel
on an ethereal air,
through prayerful sighs
to the Haven of hope,
His almighty promise.

© Jeanne I. Lakatos


(My reading of this poem is on Pod-omatic at the bottom of this page.)

12 July, 2025

Goal: Inspiration


Me, on my side deck, years ago,
reading Sydney Owenson's (Lady Morgan's) Book of Memoirs

Goal: Inspiration

With each cleansing breath 
she inhales 
the aroma of the glow, 
releases 
toxic confusion,
breathes 
purity of heart and mind,
feels
the respiration 
moving through her body.

Through her brain,
each thought
dances
to effervescent stirrings 
as her dream
evolves
from ache to inspiration.

© Jeanne I. Lakatos


To hear my reading of this poem, please click HERE .

11 July, 2025

From my operetta, Luminescence, Advice from Anne Bradstreet (Represented as the Passion Flower)

Passion Flower from Google Images

In my operetta, Luminescence, a re-write of the 13th century French narrative poem, Roman de la Rose, the spirit of the poet, Anne Bradstreet, as represented by the passionflower, gives the following advice to Rose. I wrote this with Bradstreet's poetic style in mind:

My name was Anne Bradstreet,
and I have a story of devotion to tell. 
My life was dedicated to the sacrifice 
of one who gave His life, that I might have mine. 
I saw the need for all people, men and women, 
to be mindful of the importance of their individual spirits. 

My passion for the love of my life 
is ever-growing even as I speak from the spirit. 
The seeds one plants in life 
are carried forth to benefit future generations, 
bringing into view the truth of love and devotion 
in a physical manifestation of Divine Ordinance. 

One needs to remember always 
that humility of thought begins 
with the acceptance of the challenge 
within one’s heart. 
Each individual must fulfill that desire 
in order to fulfill the Will of the Almighty. 

Attention to this desire will bring 
happiness and contentment 
as a central focus of one’s life, 
and there will be calm 
in the heart 
of any troubled soul. 

© Jeanne I. Lakatos


Anne Bradstreet

Note: 
Anne Bradstreet was an English-American poet who was born in Northampton, England in 1612 and died in North Andover, Massachusetts in 1672. 

(To hear my reading of this poem on Pod-omatic, click HERE.)

10 July, 2025

Out of the Fog




I took this photo in Dublin, Ireland...after being lost in Dun Laoghaire for hours.
I thought it was amazing that a small white cloud seemed to surround the light on the lamp post.

Head 
out of the fog,
and soon, 
distortion dissipates. 
Recognition of a flawed distinction 
leads to a Renaissance.

© Jeanne I. Lakatos

09 July, 2025

Inception of a Storm




 

 Inception of a Storm

A silver disc
floats high
in the azure palette.
When suddenly,
stretching its darkening appendix,
a rolling, feathery mass
covers the spherical gaze, 
and soon,
Blessed droplets
fill the soil
with Rich Nutrients
of the Diviner's Supper. 
Ah! What a Feast!
So loud ~ so silent ~
So swift ~ So enduring
So absolutely essential
to reach the Heavenly gold.

© Jeanne I. Lakatos

To hear me recite this verse, please click HERE.

08 July, 2025

Sydney Owenson (Lady Morgan) and Disparate Characterizations in The Missionary

Cover of Sydney Owenson's novel, The Missionary

From my book, pp. 33-34: 

In her 1811 novel, The Missionary, Sydney Owenson (Lady Morgan) uses realism in conjunction with an icon to illustrate her views on cultural adaptation. In the following passage, she describes the realistic nature of Hilarion as a young, conflicted priest, who sacrifices earthly pleasures to honor his faith:

All that could touch in the saint, or impose in the man breathed around him: the sublimity of religion, and the splendour of beauty, the purity of faith, and the dignity of manhood; grace and majesty, holiness and simplicity, diffusing their combined influence over his form and motions, his look and air. (The Missionary, p. 82)
In contrast, Luxima, the Hindu Priestess, embodies beauty with spirituality as she interacts with the Missionary through her “dovelike eyes and innocent hands…raised in same direction, for gazing on the glories of the firmament, a feeling of rapturous devotion, awakened and exalted by the enthusiasm of the Missionary, filled her soul.” (The Missionary, p. 121) Not only do her characters contain realistic qualities that independently represent their iconic associations, but her setting this tale in India, provides the other realistic aspect of Owenson’s novel, for in the seventeenth century, India is the focus of European nations, who are seeking new economic and political territories to whet their imperial appetites. Moreover, the Catholic Church, having made so many dissenters from its powerful stance, needed to expand its philosophical territories, so the emergence of missionaries became a reality in India during the early seventeenth century. Portuguese missionaries do travel to India for the purpose of religious conversion of the non-Christian Hindus. Owenson draws upon observations from the historical documentations of Francois Bernier (1625-1688) to provide anthropological references as a means to create realistic characterizations, as she brings two people together in a Garden of Eden to form the genesis of a consciousness that alerts her audience to the possibilities of overzealous proselytizing of any stalwart community.

Owenson represents iconic realism with the placement of Hilarion, the Franciscan Priest, an icon of Jesus Christ and European philosophy, physically and spiritually immersed with Indian culture through his interaction with an Indian Priestess, the icon of 17th century Hindu community and victimized follower of a faith and culture that is targeted for conversion. As Thomas Kavanagh points out:

The signified meanings, instead of being accepted as such, instead of taking us outside the text as text, become themselves the signifiers of the iconic signs, of a continuing movement, of a second temporality definable only within the parameters of the text.” [1]
Hilarion is a Catholic Missionary because he is the nephew to the Archbishop of Lisbon. Although her description of his qualities is quite flattering, under his cloak of religiosity, his true nature is simply that of an ordinary man. As a true follower of Jesus Christ, he transfigures into a real person with real emotions and real anxieties regarding the bureaucracy of his organized religion. In Owenson’s portrayal of him as an icon set within the realism of seventeenth century India, he signifies two elements: the Catholic Church of the Inquisition period and imperialistic England, whose dogmatic government maintains its own mission to convert the Irish to the British consciousness. John Locke, in his essay on the “Powers of the Commonwealth” refers to this form of bureaucracy in government and religion:

For no man or society of men having a power to deliver up their preservation, or consequently the means of it, to the absolute will and arbitrary dominion of another, whenever anyone shall go about to bring them into such a slavish condition, they will always have a right to preserve what they have not a power to part with, and to rid themselves of those who invade this fundamental, sacred, and unalterable law of self-preservation for which they entered society. And thus the community may be said in this respect to be always the supreme power, but not as considered under any form of government, because this power of the people can never take place till the government be dissolved. [2]
Thus, the hierarchy of authority within human society creates significant conflict of interest for those whose mindset differs from the status quo. Owenson demonstrates this conflict through her disparate characterizations.

________________________________________________________________________
[1] Thomas Kavanagh, “Time and Narration: Indexical and Iconic Models” in Comparative Literature, MLN, 86. 6 (1971), p. 832.
[2] John Locke, in Howard R. Penniman (ed.), John Locke: On Politics and Education (Roslyn, New York:  Walter J. Black, Inc., 1947), p. 152.