Meanings



Use gives meaning to a word and changes denotation:
it's not that it's been misheard
but rather connotation.
There is an obscurity with "they say" implications:
phantoms of authority,
nebulous designations.
There is ambiguity with the "it" indication:
inferred sexuality,
oblique insinuation.
There is a ubiquity in the "how are you?" question:
tacit cordiality,
non-physical depiction.
There is an uncertainty with the "I love you" retort:
implicit intimacy,
fuliginous support.
Tease out what the user means in the voice intonation:
observe beyond what it seems,
the non-verbal expression.
Font size:
Collection       
 

Submitted on February 05, 2010

Modified on March 05, 2023

27 sec read
1

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABACDCADAABAEDEAFA
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 574
Words 89
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 18

Wallace Dean LaBenne

Professor, therapist, author and poet. more…

All Wallace Dean LaBenne poems | Wallace Dean LaBenne Books

6 fans

Discuss the poem Meanings with the community...

0 Comments

    Translation

    Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Meanings" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 15 Jan. 2025. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/78318/meanings>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    January 2025

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    16
    days
    21
    hours
    11
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    AA Milne wrote: "A bear, however hard he tries..."
    A "stinks and attracts the flies"
    B "grows tubby with no exercise"
    C "can never stop telling lies"
    D "has very very tired eyes"