Going after sights, sounds and smells

Abstract

This reflective essay explores the often-overlooked roles of sounds and smells in everyday environments, contrasting them with the more studied visual and linguistic landscapes. Through a personal anecdote about being drawn into a coffee shop by its aroma during a rainstorm in Italy, the author illustrates the powerful, transient influence of olfactory and acoustic stimuli on human behaviour and perception. The piece introduces key concepts such as “soundscape” (categorised into geophony, biophony, and anthropophony) and “smellscape,” highlighting their subjective nature and ecological significance. It calls for greater scholarly attention to these sensory dimensions within linguistic and environmental discourse, posing reflective questions to readers about their own sensory experiences and ending with a note on contemporary artificial scenting of public spaces, such as a scented Christmas tree in Malta’s capital.