Blog Post #4

In these exerts Richards is saying that words don't have a permanent connotation. No words are ugly, beautiful, good or bad all the time. The way we phrase words adds meaning to them. Although this is true, we don't look at words this way. For example, when we hear the word "ambiguous" we automatically have a negative connotation for the word because it means unclear or uncertain. We associate things that are unclear with being bad because we can't understand them. This affects when we're reading because we familiar words and automatically assume they mean something they may not mean. This is and because it clouds our comprehension of writing.
Symbolism can also be taken the wrong way. It all depends on how we are referencing it. For example, our tone can change the meaning of symbolism if we are being sarcastic.
The context in which we read something can also change the way in which we interpret the meaning. For example, if you read the word "explicit" in the context of an instruction manual you would interpret it as being very detailed. However, if you read the same word "explicit" in context of a song you interpret the song as being inappropriate whether than filled with details.
This relates to our discussion of remix and assemblages because we change the meaning of words. When an author uses a word and we interpret as something other than what the author meant it to be we are remixing the idea of the phrase. We are taking the original meaning and twisting it and remaking it into something different, remixing it.