Customer Reviews

The Sense of Form in Literature and Language (Semaphores and Signs)

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"These colorful essays by Michael and Marianne Shapiro bring hidden forms in works of art to light. They increase our enjoyment of the art object and help us understand the combinatorial possibilities of human intelligence. The studies exhibit philosophical insight and wide-ranging knowledge of Russian literature, along with a sense of the complexities of ordinary speech and a structural understanding of Shakespeare's sonnets. They make the miracle of language more vividly present to us."

Robert Sokolowski, Elizabeth Breckenridge Caldwell Professor of Philosophy, Catholic University of America

"It is impossible, for me at least, to identify two inquirers who bring to the question of the relationship between form and meaning a more unique combination of literary sensitivity and linguistic erudition, a more relevant set of interpretative skills and theoretical expertise, than Marianne and Michael Shapiro do in this book. The Sense of Form moves deftly from detailed analyses of specific literary works to an encompassing account of our most basic linguistic competencies--and back again.

Vincent Colapietro, Liberal Arts Research Professor, Pennsylvania State University"

"The Sense of Form in Literature and Language is a masterful application of structuralist theory and Peirce's semeiotic to an impressive range of literary genres, authors, and periods. Michael and Marianne Shapiro argue convincingly for an iconic relation between sound and meaning. The second, expanded edition allows us to see more clearly the important contributions of Marianne Shapiro to this work.

James J. Liszka, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, Professor of Philosophy, University of Alaska Anchorage"