[graywyvern]

i think "aboutness" is a kind of optical illusion, like
perspective. it depends on a reader's familiarity with
certain cues. after tradition, there is only familiarity
with a body of work or the works of a clique, or else
various pseudo-contexts, such as the media or a given
canon.

writing in ignorance of this can produce work that rings
hollow or seems deeply mysterious, depending on your taste.
but it is almost impossible to write something profound
without using symbols that have a history to them.