A Rose is a What.......? You Tell me!

I was walking the dog this morning, pondering as I went (I do my best thinking when walking), when I saw a lovely pinky-yellow rose growing out of a garden that was otherwise desolate and unkempt. 'How wonderful' I thought 'to see such beauty amidst such ugliness!' And as soon as I'd thought it, I had to do a mental readjustment. This was me projecting my emotions on to what was a biological accident. It was a random event that caused the rose to grow where it did. It's just a plant that is blindly following its genetic blueprint in a not too inhospitable environment. It just exists. I thought that it looked beautiful, but of what import is my interpretation?

I suppose what emphasised the plant's attractiveness was the contrast that it formed with its surroundings. It stood out by its seemingly unusual placement. But that was completely arbitrary. No authorial hand had placed it there to delight, or draw attention: there was no motive, either conscious or subconscious. It meant nothing: it just was.

I think that this might symbolise what I am finding my greatest sticking point with my thesis on prominence readings in the Pauline epistles. Linguistic data exists, and my eye will be naturally drawn to seek out contrast. But does it mean anything? Am I projecting authorial intention? Does it mean anything? Or is it just there? I seem to be back where I was a year ago, wondering what meaning means. Time for a revisit to Sinn und Bedeutung.....