Explanation
A condensed verbal sign whose meaning emerges only within a particular work, experience or interpretive context. Moves meaning from the single expression into a network of recurring traces.
Example
The locked door returns in the poem as a cipher for an inaccessible memory.
Counterexample
The word door denotes the entrance to the house.
Distinction
Unlike a symbol, a cipher may remain more tightly bound to a particular work or experience and deliberately resist resolution.
Effect on thought and perception
Moves meaning from the single expression into a network of recurring traces.
Resonance
A word becomes a locked vessel whose key is scattered throughout the work.
Cite this entry
Reich, Michael (Hrsg./ed.): „Poetic cipher“. Atlas der Sprache, AT-RES6-0004. ATLAS 251, data model 1.6.0. https://atlasoflanguage.com/concept/AT-RES6-0004The address remains stable; editorial content may evolve. A verified modification date per entry is not yet available. Include your access date for precise references.