Final answer:
Semantic elements relate to meaning in language, while syntactic structures pertain to the arrangement of words in sentences. Structuralism and post-structuralism offer philosophical lenses on how these elements work and are influenced by broader societal forces.
Step-by-step explanation:
Semantic elements and syntactic structures are fundamental components of language grammar. Semantics involves the process of deriving meaning from morphemes and words, in other words, it's about the interpretation of signs in language. For instance, the term "tree" refers to a concept of a perennial plant with a trunk, irrespective of the letters used to spell it. Syntax, on the other hand, deals with the rules for combining words into sentences, which is crucial for the grammatical structure of language. An example of syntactic structure would be the sentence "The cat sat on the mat," where the arrangement of the words follows a subject-verb-object order that is standard in English.
The philosophical perspectives of structuralism and post-structuralism relate to language too. Structuralism suggests that language and other systems have an underlying structure that determines the relationship between their elements. Post-structuralism, however, challenges this, suggesting that structures are not fixed but are subject to continuous change and are influenced by societal and cultural forces.
Understanding the balance between semantic elements and syntactic structures can reveal much about the function of language and how it manages to convey complex meanings in a variety of contexts.