If the misery of our poor be caused not by the laws of nature, but by our institutions, great is our sin.

—Charles Darwin,Voyage of the Beagle

There is some question as to Definition’s whereabouts, its opportunity, its motive: our mystery character in an imagined scenario. The first place to look for the culprit is in the dictionary (any Google search will do.) You probably would begin such a search by typing “definition of ‘definition’?” It has, however, multi-faceted explanations (and I’m more or less quoting now): 1) the act of defining or making definite, distinct or clear 2) the formal statement of the meaning or significance of a word or phrase, 3) the condition being definite, distinct, or clearly outlined, and 4) [optics] sharpness of the image formed by an optical system. [Random House Unabridged 2^nd Edition].

Most people would default to the second use of the word; a visual artist may quickly apply the third to a work (and possibly the fourth.) The first being more general in nature, can be used in more situations: definition of a mystery plot, definition of a philosophical point, a strategy with definition.

The attraction of the mystery writing genre is the progression from the lack of clarity to, clue by clue, some whole-picture-puzzle resolution, to answers. Following the facts, a sequence of events gets time-lined, portraits of characters are colored in and relationship among them are connected, and finally motives are clarified. The combinations of these things are tinkered with, the sleuth thinking behind the literal surface of the art to arrive at a definition/definitive conclusion, a confession and/or judgement, a catharsis.

We know that some words have secret lives beyond their literal definition. They have disguises called connotations which are cultural additions, sneaky clues. Words mean different things to different people. In visual art there is a tension between impressionism (connotation, perhaps) and realism (definition, perhaps). Compare Monet’s or van Gogh’s flowers with Edward Hopper’s Night Hawks. Neither is more “Art” than the other.

One classic example of connotation is the variant ‘feelings’ between the ideas of house and home. Other examples might be humble which could be considered a self-effacing virtue or a somewhat derogatory statement regarding financial status. Opinion could be a constructive statement based on the speaker’s expertise or it could be construed as a statement of uninformed, ignorant belief. The word belief itself can be a strong thought/feeling without a factual basis or be a statement of doubt: “I believe that [something] to be correct,” implying the notion of but am not sure.

This richness of the English language can also be a confusing mess: patriot has been captured and held for ransom, being used by opposing political parties in opposite connotations. Abortion is a medical term/procedure, but it has been hostaged and made into a religious/cultural issue which has little to do with its neutral, original meaning. Maybe “guns” carries the same political parsing. Data centers are purely descriptive, but the phrase is currently a good thing or an incarnation of the devil. Sometimes Language is used to confuse. We don’t know the guilty from the guilty.

Though language is always evolving, the corrupt or disingenuous use of language can destroy public trust in government and its institutions, referring back to the Darwin epigraph. Currently, our social discourse lacks definition, clarity, common understanding, which indicates America’s social breakdown. Our times demand: how do we define ourselves as neighbors, citizens, human beings? There is no mystery why we seem to be continually distracted, frustrated, fearful with lives that seem out of focus. Like punch-drunk boxers and football players with C.T.E., we no longer concentrate on what matters. We don’t know truth from truth.

Fred Wilbur’s poetry collections are As Pus Floats the Splinter Out, Conjugation of Perhaps, The Heft of Promise, and Is To Say (forthcoming from Pine Row Press). He has written three books on architectural woodcarving and The Nelson County Garden Club: The First Fifty Years, 1935-1985 which was underwritten by the Nelson County Historical Society.