A rose by any other name...

The act of naming is not neutral... Words form the world.

What is in a name?
A name is a reflection.
A reflection of mindset,
social classification
through which the world
is made known to us.
A name is identity,
a name is object
to our subjectivity;
Selection of one name
in favour of another;
Terrorist or freedom fighter,
conqueror or oppressor,
dirt or soil.
A name is history,
a name is context.
Patriot or chauvinist,
nationalist or xenophobe,
loyalist or colonist.
A name is a story,
a name is politics
What is in a name?
- The voice of the speaker.

Mai L. Nissen, 19th of February, 2015

Author's Note

I welcome any constructive criticism and suggestions

Reviews

[J. K. Beach]

Mai, I love the questions this one conjures. Are all things relative... existing only in how they are named. I'm not sure, but it does lie, I think, as you say, in the mind of the speaker. We create our own reality and try our darnedest to draw in believers to our little stories. This is a very thought provoking write and well written to boot. Good job!

[Mai L Nissen]

Thank you for your kind review and sharing your thoughts on the subject! Glad it had the intended effect :)

[Rachelle]

In marketing, this would be part of branding.... I could write paragraphs about how media and marketing has molded our perception of how things ought to be. From social standing down to the cereal you buy, names can impact how people look at the world.

[Mai L Nissen]

Thank you for taking the time to read and share your thoughts, Rachelle. I totally agree!
I could go on forever about this too, haha...
I have written another poem, 'Embrace, Extend, Extinguish', that addresses branding it bit more directly...
I appreciate your insights :)

[nazia]

Its a beautifully composed piece Mai extremely balanced.. Great job :)

[Mai L Nissen]

Thank you, Nazia! I appreciate you reviewing it :)

[Coyote Poetry]

Names. Can be made popular or destroy by good or bad actions.
"A name is a story,
a name is politics
What is in a name?
- The voice of the speaker."
Words gain value with good deeds or bad. I liked how you defined names. Thank you for sharing the excellent poetry.
Coyote

[Mai L Nissen]

Thank you for reading and sharing :) Your thoughts and inputs are always appreciated!

[Coyote Poetry]

You are welcome.

[Jamestown]

This is very well written and so much truth in this piece.
I completely enjoyed reading this and love your take on it,
Thanks for sharing and b-blessed!

[Mai L Nissen]

Thank you :) I am glad you liked it as this is relatively new compared to the other writings...