The Analysis of tension square in sign- semantics approach of satire in a poem by Abolqasem Halat

Introduction
Abolqasem Halat (1919 – 1992) was one of the most hardworking and well known political satirist in contemporary era. He was at the top of his field considering diversity and multiplicity of his poems. Between his poetic works three exclusively satiric books named "Abol-eynak", "Shookh" and "bantam" were published in the time of Pahlavi dynasty. In these books, Halat portrayed the political and social corruption of his own era with a critical view and in a plain and sarcastic tone.
In semantic square, discursive linguists use the term "state" which describes a situation that an agent is in, or the link between an agent and an object or emotional form. For example, if we say "Ali is sad", here "Ali" is the state agent, because we are telling about a state which he is in.
Because of the wide array of satire and comedy in Persian language, we have to limit our observation to one poem from the book "bantam" by Abolqasem  Halat.
 
Research method, review and goal
The present study was written in descriptive-analytic form using data analysis as a tool for library research based on semio-semantics. In discursive analysis of satire in Abolqasem  Halat's works, we tried to avoid individual signifiers, macro-signifiers and micro-signifiers or a set of signifiers in order to reach behind signs where a relation between them and a discursive reading of them can be found. Results show that the poet changes terms of discourse and produces a stream of meanings by transitioning from semantic square to tension square.
Discursive semio-semantic approach is a new development in the field of semio-semantics, highlighted in the recent years by linguists such as Greimas, Fantoni, Courtes and others. In Iran, Hamidreza Shaeiri have been pioneering this area and have published two books and a number of research papers in introduction of the theory of discursive semantics and its various aspects including "discursive semo-semantic analysis" (2002) and "an approach to semio-semantics" (2009).
 
Discussion
Semio-semantics is based on emotional cognition. Greimas defines emotional cognition in his book "the imperfection" (1987) as the result of an escape from reality. Meaning that confrontation with one thing causes the reality of that thing to hide behind a curtain and this creates a diverted –not real- meaning.
Semio-semantics insists that discourse is a process that causes diversion of meaning and defines a new application for narrative. When we use the term "Semiotics" or "Semiology" without any prefixes or suffixes, we refer to the science of studying, identifying and classifying signifiers and finally placing the signified next to them. Also, "Semantics" alone means finding small and big units of meaning and examining its implications. But "Semio-Semantics" or "Semantics" refers to the process in which both signifiers and their implicated meanings are examined. In this approach, by placing the signifier in a system of processes (or discourse), meaning is acquired. A meaning that is not fixed and static. 
Greimas invented the concept of semiotic square (Shaeiri and vafaei 2009: 127). According to Joseph Courtes, semantic square is a visual and clear representation of a semantic element (ibid: 126). What makes this representation possible is an extensive study of processes of linguistic dynamics. Semantic square is based on "conceptual" connection and in semantics, concepts are two words in a contradictory relation. According to Greimas, if two words are in a contradictory relation, then presence of one is followed by the presence of other and also, absence of one is followed by the absence of other.
In the structure of satire, subject is not initially moving on its predetermined path but is facing a chaotic world in which meanings are attributed to it and in this path towards object, abnormalities of social, political and cultural life in its surroundings create dynamic and ever-changing meanings in the narrative. In the satiric narrative, a predetermined element (like a change in economic or cultural situation) is introduced to the routine everyday life of the subject's action and creates the semantic signifier of "laughter" in the narrative structure. 
 
Conclusion
Satiric discourse in Halat's poems creates an "open semantic system". Occurrence of meaning which is criticism of modern human is not stopped and finished but is dynamic and changing and causes the poem not to be merely a place of semantic analysis but be the subject of another analysis which is "repulsion of human abnormalities". In this poem, cognitive aspect of satire is one of "state": a cognition that determines the conditions of reader's appearance in front of the subject and portrays reader's relationship with modern world in a critical and satiric way.
Halat, as a wordsmith, sensitizes the reader through discourse to his own values so that he could pave the way for the reader's persuasion. Applying the theory of semantic square to the poem, earth as a signifier of destruction with full glory and influence is placed in contradiction to moon in all the discursive units and elements. In another word, in a single semantic whole, we have units which are in front of each other in a binary way and create meaning in the semantic process of tension square (not semantic square). The contradictory relation between the general and the particular consists of: Agent (modern human) and poet as the social reformer, earth and moon, peace and destruction.
Keywords:  Semantic square, satire, Abolqasem  Halat, Sign-semantics, contemporary poetry.
 
 
References:
A. books:
1. Abrams, Meyer Howard (1957), A glossary of literary terms
2. Pollard, Arthur (1970), Satire
3. Chandler, Daniel (2001) Semiotics, The basics
4. Halat, Abolqasem  (1983), bantam
5. Shaeiri, Hamidreza (2002), basics of modern semantics
6. Shaeiri, Hamidreza & Vafaei, Tarane (2009), an approach to semio-semantics
7. Fatoohiroodmajani, Mahmood (2011), Stylistics of theories, approaches and methods
8. Greimas, A.g (1987), The imperfection
Greimas, A.g and courtes (1993), semiotique. Dictiomnaire raisonne de latheorie du lanyage paris: Hachette
9. Lunacharsky, Anatoly (1965), On literature and art
 
B. Articles:
1. Abbasi, Ali & Yavarmand, Haniye (2011) Transition from the Semantic Square to Tension Square in the Case Study of "Mahi Siahe Kocholo"