Synesthesia (Figurative Language)

Synesthesia

One of the more popular recent additions to the family of figurative language is synesthesia, an interesting and evocative device that has its roots in a medical condition. The term synesthesia comes from a combination of two Greek roots, the prefix syn meaning together (like in synchronized) and aesthesis meaning perception (as in aesthetic). So, synesthesia means joined or combined perception, and medically it refers to people who perceive sensations on different sensory modalities in response to some apparently unrelated stimulus. For example, it is common for synesthesia sufferers to associate colors with numbers, so that each time they see the number five, they immediately have a sensation of brown-ness, meaning they think of this number as being brown, and may substitute the word brown for the number five (which would make giving out your phone number tricky, to say the least). Synesthesia can occur across any sensory modality, so that one may taste vinegar when hearing a bell ring, or hear a snapping sound whenever smelling lilacs.

Literary scholars have co-opted this medical term to describe a type of figurative language that joins or mixes sensations from different senses. It might seem like an odd thing to do, but synesthesia's use and history in language is broader than we might imagine, and all of us have heard examples of it despite not knowing the technical term. For example, it is not uncommon to refer to someone's necktie as being loud, and Canadian hockey fans well know that there is no more apt description of commentator Don Cherry's wardrobe.

Breaking down the synesthesia in this situation, we can see that we have two senses at work, sight and hearing (the visual and auditory senses to name them properly). The necktie in question is very colorful, perhaps a bright pink with neon green stripes and studded with shining rhinestones. Now, it is obvious that the tie is highly noticeable, but despite its stand-out nature, in reality it makes no sound at all. As is the case with most aspects of figurative language, this device is most noticeable when the phrase containing it does not make literal sense. So, reading this figuratively, we must consider how the stunningly bright nature of the tie relates to being loud, and we find here a relation based on similarity of magnitude. The necktie in question is far more visible and obvious than the rest of the outfit we see, as well as neckties in general. So, it commands attention, and figuratively "drowns out" things around it. In the context of normal clothing, it is apparent and unmistakable. Thus, we can say that the tie is loud, comparing the strong visual effect to a strong auditory effect. Just like a loud sound is very noticeable, making it stand out from the noise around it, so too is the tie.

Another common example of synesthesia is the relation of color to mood or disposition. I can refer to myself as being blue, in the pink, or seeing red, and people will know just what I am talking about, because these colors have been linked conventionally to the corresponding emotions of sadness, happiness, and anger. The link between these colors and emotions is less obvious than the relation between the necktie and volume above, and while there may be psychological reasons these colors are cast in their emotive roles, the relationship is at base a socially constructed one. The range of synesthesia can be made far wider in literature and especially poetry, as authors may combine disparate sensory effects without needing to establish a clear link. "Crimson screams" for example presents two words that have no obvious relation or conventional meaning when placed together, and yet their presentation together sends the reader's mind into vivid considerations.