A poem is a musical score for human emotion.
A musical score, “sheet music,” is a guideline for how
to play a particular piece. How a musician—singer, pianist, guitarist, flautist,
drummer, or other—interprets the score is where the magic (or caterwauling)
begins. Similarly, a play script provides a theater company a guideline for
performance. This holds true for all literature, but somewhere between the
comparison to a musical score and Schmoop summaries, we have lost the sense
that literature is something to play, not something at which to grind away.
Just as musical
virtuosity takes years of practice and development, so does reading virtuosity.
Watch an infant encounter her first book: she might chew on a corner, rip the
paper, throw it, smear it with ice cream. She might scream, burble; kick at it; use it
as a pillow. In time, she learns in
which direction to hold the book, how to page, how to focus on the
pictures. Later, instead of drooling on the
words, she’ll learn to transform the strange marks into sounds, then words,
then sentences, then meanings. She’ll
replay the words as her Dad reads to her.
She’ll have an earworm of the story, which she may declaim to someone in
a supermarket aisle, or just mumble to herself as she lies on her back on a
beach blanket.
It is nothing short of
a miracle—with myriads of micro-decisions made—that you can read these words,
here. Without you as instrument—eyes,
ears, touch; feelings, moods, needs; mind, intuition, focus—this screen or the
book in your hand neither exists or means something. A book might as well be a doorstop, a seat
raiser, fuel for the fire, or a Christmas ornament:
Without readers, actors and theater crafters, artists, and
conversants—Shakespeare, like any writer, does not exist. Our rewards are great, if we treat our texts
as musical scores—if we remember that, as Shakespeare put it, “The play’s the
thing”—the script that is any piece of literature, yes, but more importantly
the playing of it. And the instrument
for playing it is the complex physical, emotional, social, psychological, and intellectual
being that a reader is—the strings, brass, percussion, choir, reeds. conductor
that comprise a symphony.
The less of ourselves we use to transform the marks on
a page, the duller the sound. Think of the pianist who gets all the notes right,
and synchronizes the rhythms exactly with the metronome (click track), but
without feeling drawn from life experience, without an awareness of the energies
in the concert hall—the sonata will sound like it’s being produced by a
robot. There will not be any of the
subtle shifts in tempo, the lingering on a note—and, yes, the mistake—that will
make a performance human, memorable, moving.
There will be none of what makes us human in it, and we will not
resonate with it.
Let’s consider an example of the difference between a
mechanical and a human interpretation. “Where is the body?” I will often ask when we play a poem, as for
example, this first stanza of Emily Dickinson’s poem “Wild nights”?
Wild nights - Wild nights!
Were I with thee
Wild nights should be
Our luxury!
A robotic, easily testable “interpretation” would be this paraphrase:
In the first stanza of her poem “Wild
nights,” Emily Dickinson
is saying
that if she were with the person she is addressing
they would
have a wild night that, being a luxury, is rare.
Bleh! There’s no joy in the
interpretation, no erotica, no play. Let’s see what happens when we bring the
body into it:
The first
stanza of Emily Dickinson’s “Wild nights” is
filled
with hot, wet kisses. The repetition of the “wh”
sound
introducing the words “Wild” and “Were,” in
the
pronouncing, make us pucker and pucker.
The
“ai”
diphthongs in “Wild” and “night,” open and
and close
our mouths invitingly. “Thee” and “luxury”
thrusts out
our tongues. The repetition of “Wild
nights”
three
times, is like the repetition motions of a sexual
encounter.
There is plenty of
joy, eroticism, giggles, on-no’s, and
play in this interpretation. And all we
have done is to invite the body into the symphony of meaning. We all bring an immeasurable wealth of
experience on increasing levels to create a piece of literature—yes, we create
the literature, as a musician creates music. The song “Twinkle Twinkle Little
Star,” itself, is an interpretation of W. A. Mozart’s Twelve Variations on “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman” fused with Jane and
Ann Taylor’s poem “The Star.” It can be made into music in many ways—from a
three-year-old singing it to her Aunt, to a jazz musician riffing it at a club,
to a full orchestra embodying it as a symphony.
The same is true of literature. How sad it is that it is when it is reduced
in the classroom to sawdust and yawns.
If the teacher is the
prime or sole arbiter of a text, then students are imperfect echoes of him. If the teacher is the bassoon, then students
who are violins, singers, timpani, or chimes will not be able to reproduce what
the bassoon delivers. Teachers can be
conductors—but they are not the ones pounding the mallet, stroking the strings,
breathing through a reed. And students can
take the baton and bring new life to a poem, story, essay, play.
Remember—we create the
music, not the scores—not the scores that are sheets of paper, and not the scores
that are marks and grades. You are the star that brings light into the night—Twinkle,
Twinkle…
Works Cited:
Book Christmas Tree: www.creatoncraftsandgifts.co.uk
Dickinson, Emily. The Poems of Emily Dickinson. Ed. R. W.
Franklin. Cambridge: Harvard UP,
1999.
Gaynier, Stephen. Score of “Twinkle
Twinkle Little Star”
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus. Twelve
Variations on “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman”
Taylor, Jane and Ann. Rhymes of the Nursery. London: 1806.
That's the beauty of reading, each person has an interpretation on the idea behind what they read. Sometimes, in academic reading, there has to be specific facts behind a story. For example, the general facts of the information of the book. The main characters, the setting, the problem, solution, and the moral of the story. But when it comes to more the complex side like, who is at fault for a certain scenario, then each reader will have their say about who they believe it was. We have the passion to teach other readers of our interpretations because we are gifted with experiences, love, memories, and sentiments that will make us connect a reading with.
ReplyDeleteI had never looked literature like music before. Looking literature at this point of view, helps me understand the depts of each word means, paying close attention to the sounds, how I am able to have different interpretations of the text. I really enjoy how you used the example of God in my language “Deus” as beginning in a high note and low note in the end. Meaning He is up in heaven and we are down here on earth. Each story that is written sounds like music, it is all connected. In Shakespeare’s play, there are many examples of sounds of beautiful melody, with what I know about literature comparing to melody I can appreciate it more and experience in an unique way. I couldn’t really understand all the sexual words that Shakespeare used like repeats of “ohs” and the repeats of loves in Romeo and Juliet or the many repeats between Berowne and Rosaline in Love’s Labor’s Lost are signs of sexual encounters. The beauty of reading Shakespeare is that each can have their own interpretation, there is no right or wrong answer. Reading the literature like music helps understand and have my own interpretations of what I am reading, and it is boring at all. From now on, I will read my Bible making sounds of music, in this way, I am able to remember and understand what I read, and not quickly forget, because it is easier to remember a favorite song. It will stick on people’s mind.
ReplyDeleteDear Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteI personally like this blog post because it inspired me to write my Timon of Athens paper in a different way. For instance, as I was writing my four paged paper, I was challenged to find something to write about for my last page. However, after I had read this blog post, I got inspired. As you know, my paper was about the character Apemantus and my paper clip was his prayer. As my attention was only on what had Apemantus said in his prayers, I did not see how he made it sound like. After meticulously looking at it, it was discovered that it had a type of music in it; Dark, slow and low energetic music. The prayer was dark, slow and low energetic because Apemantus was using a lot of words that had the letter “O” in it. This sound somehow is related to an “Ape” sound. That maybe suggests why his name is made up from the words “Ape” and “Man”. However, back to the main point, the blog was very inspiring because it taught me a new way to look at literature and a new way to write an interesting paper. I am grateful that every day I learn something new from you Dr. Rich. Thank you.
Wow these blog posts hit really close to home. To begin with, I couldn't agree more about how literature can be treated like music. For example, when I was writing my four pages about the romantic plays I felt as if I made the words I used flow through the pages just like music. Literature can transition into music because anyone can turn words into the flow of music just like the sheet music shown above. Music can all become all over the place like the chorus and how repetitive it can be. Literature can be the same thing as well when it comes to writing a paper. Especially when reading plays written by Shakespeare and how he uses words back in his time and made words sounds like poetry which can be listened as music. This is why when I write papers I also tend to try to write words sounds smoothly so the readers can find it as interesting as i do. Also what you said in the end on how. “we create the music, not the scores—not the scores that are sheets of paper, and not the scores that are marks and grades”. This really hit me in a positive way and how it make more sense. It's all about how we create the music in paper and nothing more.
ReplyDeleteYou are very right Professor Rich! Literature should very much be read and perceived as much more than the simple words on paper or a screen. That is what drew me so much to including English in my degree in the first place. Literature truly does not have that same meaning without people really involving themselves in the work of art that is a play or a book, they would not live on like the way that they do. And yes, Literature is very much like music! It is a piece made up of such complimenting words that come to fall into perfect harmony with one another, just like our favorite song. But again, if there is no meaning or passion, then literature is just words and music is just noise. Everyday people, like you and me, bring spirit to literature and music to give it the significance that it deserves. And that is the great beauty of music and literature! That everyone and anyone can interpret art in every possible way to make it even more special. And not only that but anyone can be an artist, all they need to do is to sincerely open themselves up, be vulnerable, and to have passion.
ReplyDeleteGrace Carranza
Music has always been a part of my life as well as literature and without even realizing it, when i listen to a song i begin to break it apart and digest what the music is really saying, and it does turn into a piece of literature. Words make up music just like literature. English has always been my strong subject and one of the reasons why is because of music. I remember in 7th grade being in my english class and my teacher had asked us to bring in the lyrics to a specific song and from that we began to take apart the lyrics to come up with the meaning, and rom that meaning digest it even more to everyday life. It was crazy to me to realize that such a simple and inviting song had such a deep, strong meaning behind it that most people don't even notice. From that point on I would dissect certain songs to see if there is a deeper meaning behind it. Literature is such an important part of our lives and it is always around us whether we notice it or not. Personally I have never been able to read sheet music therefore the most i can do is physically take apart lyrics and understand the deep meaning or story behind the song. With Shakespeare his music resonates with his plays and although it is different to the music that I listen to today, there is a meaning behind it and a story. The music has a purpose.
ReplyDelete-Melanie Azevedo
The first time I heard Bill Evans’ Midnight Mood, I was mesmerized -- rooted to my seat. The first time I heard Chopin’s Nocturne in E Flat Major, I cried. If I happen to hear the song “Amor Eterno” playing on the sound system while I’m shopping in an “almacen” I duck into a fitting room pull out the tissues and start sobbing. Every time. Not everybody reacts the same to these songs the same way, obviously. The reason that these songs move me the way they do has as much to do as how I hear them, how I experience them as the way they are performed.
ReplyDeleteThe same can be said about literature. When I read Taming of the Shrew this time around, I experienced it in an entirely different way than I did when I read it for the first time in high school Had the words and story changed? No. I had. 30 years wiser, I understood Katharine to be a victim of domestic abuse. But the discovery did not stop there. I understood a little bit more about myself too. I came back to Kean a year and a half ago, after a 10 year hiatus. At that time, if I had started reading Taming, I don’t believe I could have gotten through it without some degree of anxiety and torment, reliving some of my own experiences. However, reading it just a couple of weeks ago with a deep appreciation and sadness for Kate, I discovered that I also had a sense of peace. Imagine that! Here I was reading about arguably one of the most cantankerous women in literature and it filled me with a sense of peace. Why? Because I understood the nuances of the language in the text, just as I understood the nuances of the world around me. More importantly, I understood that I was now, finally, writing my own music. And it sounds like a happy, soft, twinkling lullaby.
Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteComparing literature to music is an uncanny comparison. Everybody listens to music differently. My band director always used to say that the music is not what is on the page, but what we make. Without instruments there is no music. Similarly, two musicians can play a piece completely differently. This is the same when it comes to literature. It is not what is on the page, but what we make of it. We have to go into it with an open mind. Two people can read the same thing and get two different meanings. That is the beauty of both music and literature. We are the instruments and no one can say otherwise.
Sarah Otero
Comparing literature and music is simply lovely. Many us love music and might not appreciate literature as we do with music. If we looked at literature like we do to the music we will enjoy it a lot more. When analyzing music, we look at the musical composition, history, writers, choices to create the music piece. When reading literature we tend to read it as a whole instead of breaking it apart as we do with music. If we dig deeper into the things that make the literature piece we would enjoy it more. For example when we analyze literature by inferring the historical context, reading about the author's life. Then we should pick apart the components and choice made by the author. That way we would be able to enjoy literature even more.
ReplyDeleteI never thought about comparing literature and music. But now that this idea was exposed to me, I think that I would do that already. When I listen to a song for example, I suppose the beat is what captures my attention at first, if it is catchy then I will continue to let it play. Once I have heard it, then I will listen to it. I will dig deeper into what the song is actually saying, the lyrics, and the emotion behind the words. That we can also determine by the sounds. Like we also learned in class about low and high sounds like “oo’ in “boo” or “ee” in “bee”. It is a great comparison that I am surprised I did not really notice earlier. You truly come up with these great analogies that gets the wheels turning in one’s mind and causes reflection. A lot of your analogies are very relatable and interesting :)
ReplyDelete- Madeline Romero
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this blog post on, Playing Literature Like Music, because it’s something that can be so life changing to first time Shakespeare readers and to long time Shakespeare readers. In my case, I was not a first time Shakespeare reader, but I also wasn’t a long time Shakespeare reader either, I was more in the middle of those two categories. In my high school English classes’, we read Shakespeare’s plays Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, The Taming of the Shrew, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Therefore, I had read some of Shakespeare’s plays and were familiar with some of them, but not in the way the Dr. Richs class taught me. In my Shakespeare Survey class with Rich, I have learned that there are fun ways to read and enjoy Shakespeare, and that way is through music. I strongly agree with your opening statement for this blog post, “A poem is a musical score for human emotion.” In reading Shakespeare’s plays in this way with a musical approach, it instantly created a more fun open space for my mind and imagination. I’ve noticed in reading Shakespeare in this way definitely brings out some eroticism, comedy, and seriousness to the lines in the play. What I learned from class, was how to break down each word in the lines of the play and see what kind of tones the lines would display musically. The different types include the following:
ReplyDeleteIamb U’ iambic
trochee ‘U trochaic
anapest UU’ anapestic
dactyl ‘UU dactylic
spondee ’’ spondaic
pyrrhic UU
In doing some exercises in class with the professor and the other students, it helped me enjoy Shakespeare in a way that I had never experienced before. In my opinion doing these steps by matching the words with the symbols; U’ , ‘U , UU’ , ‘UU , ’’ , UU , and then reading or singing the lines out loud musically was truly eye opening. I prefer to read Shakespeare in this way from now on, and it’s all thanks to Dr. Rich. I truly appreciate everything that you’ve taught us in this Shakespeare Survey course, it was truly amazing.
- Kelci Neto
Music is something that impacts everyone’s life in some way. From the time you are born, to the time you die, there is some type of music influencing your life. Music can set your mood for the day or can change your mood instantly. But thinking of literature as music? That is a very interesting concept. I have never thought of it like that, and I want to more. Literature is a piece of art, as well as music. Why not put the two together? One thing that comes to mind when I think of literature and music, is your musical, Shakespeare’s *itches. You have taken important parts of Shakespeare’s plays, and turned them into something we can listen to and enjoy. It’s a different perspective on literature and I love it. People who are auditory learners will learn so much more from listening to your musical rather than reading or watching. Visual learners are given the play to read themselves or the play to watch, the kinesthetic learners are up on the stage acting the play out themselves, and the auditory learners are listening to songs that represent that play. I love the concept of literature as music. It gives people more of a reason to enjoy literature rather than be afraid of it.
ReplyDeleteThere is something about the human voice that is transforming, dangerous and beautiful. It takes a lot of time for a composer to come up with the start of their symphony, just like how a playwright spends many hours contemplating the journey of the characters in their minds. Once the perfect craftsmanship is completed, the next phase begins. As a longtime theater fanatic, I go out and see as many productions as I can. There is something about the experience of stepping into the world that has been established through the pre-show playlist and set that creates real twinkle in my eye. When I like a show, I can remember the performances that moved me and the way that the story was told through the performers, usually beautifully crafted. For me as an actor, the idea that the plays the thing and the doing is the action is profoundly moving. When I was cast as Mark Antony in Julius Caesar at Kean, I was scared because of the extent of my lines and the daunting visual that the script laid out for me. Once I started to work diligently on crafting the character, the language was the most important feature. Standing center stage, getting my crack at the famous "Friends, Roman, Countrymen" speech, I realized that my job was to make it unique and clear. After it was all over, when the show closed, I would still find myself messing around with the rhythms and pitches, falling deeper and deeper in love with the music it conveyed. The physical text is just a starting point; the next step is to jump.
ReplyDeleteDr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteI have never done this in any other class and it was fun actually diving into the words in such a way that made it more than the definition. It is intriguing to see what other meaning are behind the word if we break it down. Finding a different meaning to a certain one word can actually help us alter the meaning to the poem from our original thought. Reading words in this way allows us to expand on what we think is there and why. It brings in a new aspect of researching. We find something there that was never there before and we have to see where it stems from.
I have to admit.l, that while doing this the first time it was weird and new to me. I thought, why would anyone break down a word and add what isn’t there to make it more appealing. But as you proceeded with your interpretations of it, it all made sense and came together. I have used this method for a few of Emily’s poems, not many, but a few. I came up with a few ideas that I would have never found otherwise- that I had to google to research more background information from Emily. I don’t think I can use this practice in every course and reading because it takes too long. That short wild night poem took an hour imagine a chapter of those literature books where the words are almost microscopic! You brought a new way to not only read literature but to understand it differently, see it differently, and make new connections.
Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteI am currently watching my seven month old nephew, and one of his favorite things to do is to read a book called "How to Feed Your Cheeky Monkey". When I read this to him, I notice that there's a different tone to how it's read one that is enjoyable and fun to say for not only him, but me as well. Maybe it's because all the words rhyme, but I noticed that after a certain age I stopped reading things with rhythm and started reading them in a dull tone. It wasn't until this post that made me think "why am I reading everything like this?" Why did I read the class syllabus in the same tone that I read Venus and Adonis? Why is it okay to read a children's book with enthusiasm, but whenever real literature is put in front of me I meet it with no excitement?
That's the great part about your blog post, I think it brings excitement to literature again. Reading literature like music adds a new layer to reading, and has got me excited to read more things in this way.
Music is an important aspect in my life, and I have come to appreciate it more and more everyday just as I have of literature. It took a very long time for me to come to appreciate literature and figure out what I like and do not like. It is interesting to think about the process that got me to this very pint because there was a time when I did not appreciate literature, I hated reading. Sitting and actually looking for that deeper meaning and sense in the text itself is such a rewarding experience. Before this class, I was never taught to do that and it has opened my eyes to so much more and has made reading poems and other forms of literature that much more enjoyable. Seeing how words and sentences fit together and have a much more intriguing or beautiful meaning is amazing. I have a niece who is six months old and has started babbling away, and it is quite interesting how certain babbles are different in different circumstances and situations. I began thinking about how the same goes when we speak or write words.
ReplyDeleteDear Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteI find this concept very relatable and I personally had some experience of turning poems into songs and feeling the poems. The second paper I wrote about a poem "the moon will prelude to the water melody" was actually a poem that was used to be sung in Song Dynasty in China. And this poem has been used as the lyrics of a famous Chinese singer in the modern days too. Also a lot of poems written in ancient China have been successfully turned into moderns songs, which I believe is a great way of cherishing our Chinese culture and remembering our culture. Also, in Dr. Rich's classes, I noticed that every time Dr. Rich tries to read a poem out loud, somehow the lines came out like songs. And when I first started trying to do that, I found it magical that I could feel and sense the poem a lot better than simply reading the poems like a robot.
When we discussed the rhythm in poetry I was blown away. I had to share what I learned with anyone and everyone who interacted with me that day. I discussed rhythm used in Toomer's "Reapers" in my first paper and shared it with my parents, hoping that not only would they be proud of what I have learned but be just as impressed by it as I was. I knew there was depth to poetry, but discussing the rhythm behind it took it to another level. I always associate music and poetry with each other because of how powerful they are, how much of an impact they can make on a person. They both can change how a person feels, sometimes even their beliefs! I know with both poetry and music expression is involved, it can be cathartic writing them. There are some poems we have read that still stick with me, just like how songs have.
ReplyDeleteOn my paper I worked on the Poem, "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Goodnight," I chose this poem because it reminded me of my exact feelings when I was in the ICU beside my grandfather begging him to not let go. I would tell him I'm not ready to let go of the only father I ever had. The beats in the poem were the same beats on a heart monitor and I felt every beat in this poem. I felt the pain of losing a parent in this poem because it was exactly as I felt. With music comes tone I needed to read this poem in a sad and upsetting tone similar to listening to a sad song on rough days. One person once told me that Shakespeare is meant to be played not read and I can understand that reading is no where near as amazing as seeing the performance. His words come off so smoothly similar to ones favorite song.
ReplyDeleteOne of the reasons I love poetry so much is because it can sound like music. The way words can flow together off your tongue is one of the most satisfying feelings. Your words “A poem is a musical score for human emotion” puts it in to the perfect words. So often song lyrics need a musical back track to get the emotion across. With poetry, no instruments are needed. Words themselves along with punctuation create a way to express so many emotions. A flurry of feelings over a simple stanza. For example, one of my favorite poems by W.B. Yeats is music. Only six lines, one stanza and you can feel the emotion in it.
ReplyDelete“A mermaid found a swimming lad,
Picked him up for her own,
Pressed her body to his body,
Laughed; and plunging down
Forgot in cruel happiness
That even lovers drown.”
The melody that comes from “lad” brings a happy tune while “drown”, the last line brings a feeling of being down. That is poetry.
Oftentimes, when I take a look at poetry, I think too hard. And when I think too hard, I start to miss the magic of poetry, especially the rhythm and song of the poem.
ReplyDeleteBeing someone whose life is filled with music, I think it is unbelievable that looking for song and rhythm within a poem is not the first thing that I do. I used to play the saxophone (alto, tenor, AND baritone), and my brother is attending college for music education, so we would spend hours talking about different kinds of music-related topics. Now that I know I can incorporate my knowledge into poetry, I think I will have a much easier time interpreting and drawing my own opinions from them.
I decided to take a look back at Poe to see if his poems had any sort of "song" to then. Of course, The Raven has one to it, but I was very much delighted to take another look at his poem "Annabel Lee". It feels like it can be sung by anyone, and still work as an actual song. Most of the words have high frequencies, and they seem to compliment each other (especially the end rhymes of each line).
I used to think that this poem was somewhat eerie and dark without taking into account the "song", but now I appreciate it for being somewhat uplifting and..dare I say lovely? I know it sounds silly, but I think I am starting to understand poems in my kind of way now.
Music has flow to it. Some music has a particular flow to it, like classical music. While other types of music do not have a set flow, kind of like reggae music. I would like to think that most of the time the world is not that black and white, in order to live a happy life. Comparing music to life, in return that the notes do not need to have a set position in order to create a lovely song. Jazz music can be heard as having a specific beat to it in order to keep going. Individuals can also see jazz as a free flowing work of art that in fact has no path at all.
ReplyDeleteThe perspective is all in the way that we view those music notes - or - those notes can be seen from a realistic point of view and be called important segments of our lives. This, and only this, will heal us from previous traumatic events and allow us to release ourselves to become better human beings. A song will eventually end, being that it only lasts for so long. Life is too short to hold onto anything at all that troubles our souls. The difference between experiencing emotions within a song verses in our lives is that during a song, we have the control to skip it completely. We also have the power to replay the song, or fast forward parts that we might not relish in. We need to apply this type of mindset to our lives and realize that we as humans need to be good to each other.
Lexie Grell
DR. Rich
ReplyDeleteComparing poetry or literature to music is identifiable.Music does soothe the soul and puts us in relaxing mood. Sound intoxicate us and we are able to be free and get lost to our own imaginations when we listen to music. Our bodies naturally move to the rhythm of the beats. Therefore it makes sense for literature to give us that same connection. The way in which words are spoken and the play on words is what we should feel. Our spirits should follow the beat of the writer and the words should come to life as if they were being sung to us by the Author.
Najeeah Eason
Comparing music to literature was an interesting metaphor and I entirely agree that teaching should be an imperfect echo and not robotic repetition. It's important to understand an educator is a resource to to the students and not a machine, I feel it is sometimes forgotten in the technological age. As well, your comparison the the imperfection of a pianist to reader reading, and the drawing of emotions, was a helpful and intuitive perceptive. the drawing of life experiences and emotions to draw those connections are important when interpretation a text but as in life in general. In the beginning, the acknowledgement of the importance that a reader has on the writer is astronomical. With works of philosophers such as Horace they mention the importance of the audience to the writer because without anyone to read and interpret the work nothing will be done with the piece. I feel as a future educator it is important to understand that the role of the teacher is not to get the children to regurgitate information because after they do it is lost, but it is vital to teach children to interpret and think for themselves. It's the responsibility as an educator to give their students the tools to articulate their own ideas with squashing their creativity and individuality. Your reference to Emily Dickson's work was insightful and made me think. The way a physical interpretation and an emotional one can be vastly different. As well as the fact that reading between the lines and individualized interpretations can be vastly different. In conclusion, your comparison was insightful and interesting; as well as, your interpretations and point of view.
ReplyDeleteShannon Makuskie
Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteThis post shed a lot of light on the beauties of literature. All throughout middle school and high school I would find myself in the library picking up 3-6 books and being excited to embark on a new journey that the book would present. A lot of times in English classes, the teacher or professor shoves their ideas and concepts onto the students even if the students have a different idea or interpretation on what the book or writing meant to them. Based on each person's experience, words in a book can mean very different things. I like that you embrace the journey that each student can take without saying that they are right or wrong, but taking in a new thought. Like you said in class, we will never know what the author meant when they were writing, but we can say what we learned or what it means to us as the readers. Also, each person may have different interpretations of writing based on how they feel about the author or their personal experiences which is why I hated tests in English based on a reading. Questions like “what year was this written?” is more appropriate than “what did ___ mean when they said ____?” I don’t feel that there is a right or wrong with this question and I don’t see how professor can mark it wrong when it is up to the student and how they perceived the story. I think it is something that should be changed and I appreciate that you have shone light on this topic.
Janaya McClenny
I completely agree with your statement that “A poem is a musical score for human emotion.” Music itself is the description or the story of the composer emotion. So, to compare a poem to music notes, is a replica. Poems includes a composer or writer to write the story of it, and when a story is written, usually it includes some emotion from the writer himself. For example, Mozart composed multiple famous symphonies. They are all well known because when they are played by the instruments like the violin or piano or etc, the audience can hear the tone or the emotion behind the music. Mozart thought out what sound he wanted to write and what emotion he wanted the audience to feel when they listened to his work. It is the same for a poem writer. When one is reading a poem, the person reading it never reads it in a monotone voice or tone. Even if you read it in your head, one would say it with a certain emotion. For example, taking a very simple but very famous poem from a famous well known children poet: Dr. Seus. In the Poem: Green Eggs and Ham, the narrator reads the poem with a distaste emotion when talking about his/her dislike for Green Eggs and Ham. A short expert from the poem is:
ReplyDeleteDo you like green eggs and ham?
I do not like them, Sam-I-am.
I do not like green eggs and ham!
One cannot read this with a happy emotion or happy tone. One would see the key words like do not, and not like and make the assumption that this is a negative reaction to the object. Just like Music, Poem demonstrates the emotion of the writer, narrator or whomever is the first person of that poem. That is my analysis or opinion at least.
Kellen Atay
Dr Rich,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your statement, “We have lost the sense that literature is something to play, not something at which to grind away.” I feel that reading should be an enjoyable and enlightening experience that brings the reader closer to not only their own emotions, but to the world around them. I too feel that literature is often portrayed as something that is boring and tedious, where it should be something fun to stimulate the mind. When I was in elementary school I used to love to read. I would look forward to reading stories with my mother every night, and I enjoyed the fun learning experience that it provided me. However, when I grew older and started middle school, my passion for reading and literature had drastically declined due to how the school made me view reading. During middle school, I was given very depressing stories to read, and I was forced to cram in several readings right after one another without being able to fully digest the first story. This only got worse when I went on to High School, and it made me dread reading since I had no control over what genre I wanted to read, and I was not given enough time to fully process the story. However, I noticed that my interest in literature came back when I started to read Shakespeare. Even though the language was difficult at first, I found the stories to be fascinating. I was also given more time to think about what I had read since the teachers gave the students more time in between stories because of the confusing language. While Shakespeare is difficult for many people, I have found that I have gotten better at reading his works over time, which relates to your statement regarding how reading is a skill that is mastered over time. As a future teacher, I want to inspire my students with literature and make them love reading. Just like music, reading is good for the mind and soul. Literature should be treated with more respect, and teachers should allow students to interpret stories for themselves instead of limiting their creativity.
Jennifer Stavole
This reading opened my eyes a little to expand that literature can be played like music. Of course music grabs our attention because it plays a beat that gets us to listen. With music and lyrics in it has feeling and understanding the kind of messages are in the songs that is being told. Just as Shakespeare, it is his plays that was written and performed in theater that audiences listen and watch had all kinds of stories that was being told that also grabbed people’s attention.
ReplyDeleteFor centuries and now that grabs people’s attention is sexual things that is in music, movies, and music videos. The example of Emily Dickinson’s “Wild Night” is something that is crazy and fun. That gets noticed because it is something exciting and hot that some people want to feel. Movies and shows have sexual contact, but it is entertaining to watch. The same goes for music has its way of putting hidden messages that relates to sexual things that some people don’t comprehend at a certain age, but we love the sound it. The example I can think of is Animaniacs that had a lot of hidden sexual messages and showed sexual contact of things that I didn’t know at first, but understood later about it. Throughout it all, it was entertaining to watch.
Literature and music have in common expressing creatively sharing life experiences of happy, sad, and awful things. The energy by play writers and scriptwriters who put emotion in telling a story to show to viewers how they should feel about the story. The same goes as for music writers and artists creates melodies and lyrics to make us feel a certain way to feel good, heartbroken, or angry. It is the feeling of the hurt and passion put together that makes it a perfect story, like a song.
After reading “Playing Literature like Music”, it is easy to understand that literature can easily be over read and not interpreted correctly or can be easily misunderstood. Just as the comparison mentioned, a baby can be given a book and not have the slightest clue what to do with it or how greatly of an impact books will have on life ahead. Over time, a baby will learn how to correctly hold a book, learn to form sounds, make sentences, and gain a better understanding at what is being told. That is the same lesson taught when it comes to anything you try to be successful in life.
ReplyDeleteContinuing on, poetry is full of life that can easily be missed out on. I enjoyed reading about the example for Emily Dickinson’s “Wild Nights”. When body was added to the poetry, the lines were full of life and created imagery. I feel as though there are many pieces of work that are brought to the classroom and glazed over. I have read some of “Shakespeare” in my previous years and couldn’t find an understanding for the literature. Many teachers don’t make it as exciting to read, leaving students on the edge of their seats waiting for more. I feel like I am the baby in the example provided, not sure what to do with “Shakespeare” or how to interpret messages throughout the reading that could have easily been missed. Literature can have various interpretations. This piece helped me to realize that I make the music in my life. I hope to be able to inspire others, just as this piece has inspired me.
I agree that in a sense you can compare music to literature. They are both things that many people either read, listen to, or watch and still have different outcomes in a way. These two things are both something that leaves the reader or listener thinking and wondering how it made them feel. As mentioned that the fact that without an audience that none of these things would exist is a far-off thought meaning how much people enjoy listening to music or reading a book or even watching television on occasion. While watching any Shakespeare play the important part from what I have learned was the music and to listen to pauses to get a sense of the scene even if you had no idea what was happening it would guide you as with any play. It was a great example to bring both Emily Dickinson’s work and twinkle, Twinkle into this to show what a difference using the different parts of the body have on literature. The more someone pronounces a word and uses body language the more as was said less robot-like it seems. This is a way in class the teacher would have the students reenacting the play. In some classes, though the teacher will have the students pick or assign parts for the students to make interpretations of their own. The way that a person interprets a work can be crucial in some cases since that if that person interoperates it in the wrong way it can throw the rest of it off and leave not understanding the real meaning.
ReplyDeleteKathleen Weideli
I wasn’t a fan of this blog post simply because the topic wasn’t interesting to me however it does have a message I can stand with. People don’t appreciate literature how they used to. In a past time, each piece of literature ranging from scriptures, poems, books, etc were viewed as works of art. Many spent their life analyzing and resonating with these pieces, some even carrying them down through generations. Book clubs were created further down the line where people could connect and discuss how literature made them feel. It was here where musical scores could be compared to literature and actually meant something. Words were used intentionally to create emotion and add another aspect of entertainment to the mix. Nowadays, people lack this creativity and our educators fail to value the importance the literature holds. Those same pieces that were once held on a pedestal now lie on the ground being walked on and disregarded. Words are butchered and turned into an interpretation far from what the author intended it to be. Students are turned into machines and expected to spit out the art as if reciting pi. All this to say, the arts need to be respected much more! Everyone everywhere has an appreciation for music because we get reeled in by that one artist who always has a catchy hook or uses the best instruments on their albums. We respect their craft and learn to love their work. Why can’t people do the same with reading? Find one author that writes about your current obsession or one your favorite musical artist enjoys reading. Fall in love with their speech and imagery they create. Reread a story just as you loop your favorite song. Share that appreciation with others and teach them so that way, literature will not die out and turn into a running joke in the year 2100.
ReplyDeleteTaizha Blue
I would say literature is more similar to music than it is different. People create their own interpretations of pieces of writing as they do to lyrics; whether it be academic or for pleasure, people search for meaning in everything. Writing is meant to be enjoyed, interpreted and experienced by both the writer and audience. Writing itself can be melodic, which can give musical attributes to a specific piece. Sappho’s writings, which consisted of lyric poetry, was meant to be sung accompanied by a lyre. She is a prime example of writing reflecting music.
ReplyDeleteGreat writers such as Charles Dickens believed that writing could play a big part in fixing the problems of the world. This is a belief that many people hold true to literature, as well as music. When tragedy strikes, you often see musical tributes performed and reflective writing pieces published. People need outlets to respond to events they may experience, and writing and literature are very similar in the way that they are both outlets for suffering individuals. I really liked how you discussed the concept of teachers being the provider of these pieces of work. As an education major, it is important to realize the difference between exploring and explaining. You can tell the students exactly what the piece “is” or “means”, but they get nothing out of that. And quite frankly, you may be completely wrong, preaching your interpretation to children who naively assume that your words are facts. It is crucial to teach children to explore, to be wrong, to make their own reality of works in order to truly enjoy what literature (and music) have to offer.
Katie Lewandowski
Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this blog post very much so and could not agree more on the points you have made here. I honestly could not agree more with the point you have made that emphasizes how important one's personal interpretation of literature among other things relating to art holds the key components to making it all come to life for the individual audience. I strongly believe that through personal experience most art can be brought to life through interpretation and that those that don't see that they in fact hold their own individual key to their own door of appreciation will never see the beauty of it if they don't realize they have the power to do so if they can realize and allow themselves to. I think that those who can find beauty and appreciation for all things art, among other things in this thing we call, “life” do in fact have a greater power than those that do not. I like the fact that you have emphasized how that if we treat art and literature and all of Shakespeare’s writings as musical scores we are able to play them differently and find great reward if we can see the emotional, physical, psychological, social and intellectual being that lays within our individual selves as the reader or audience. I think that during this course I will be able to be enlightened and play Shakespeare in a much different way and in a new light as I have in the past. Thank you for sharing with us as I enjoyed this post very much and look forward to having more insight as a result of these blog posts.
Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteThis post opened my eyes to how similar music and literature really are. My brother is a musician so I have been around music my entire life, and I agree with the statement you made, "There will not be any of the subtle shifts in tempo, the lingering on a note—and, yes, the mistake—that will make a performance human, memorable, moving". It really is much more enjoyable to go to a concert and have a human experience while listening to music than to listen to a song that has no emotion or personality. This is very similar to what happens with literature. I would much rather listen to someone dive deep into a work and excitably discuss all the details than listen to someone give a boring paraphrase of what happened. Even though I will learn about a work of literature from a summary, it will not enthrall me like the interpretation you gave of "Wild Nights". I believe the key to getting students (or anyone) to enjoy literature is being excited about it yourself, just like a musician is excited to play their songs at a concert.
Danielle Piescor
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTo me literature was like music in that both have risen and falls that help set the tone of what each body of work is trying to communicate. Just as a song with a slower tempo and melody helps to create a more somber and emotional feeling for the listener, all the great story uses their narratives to help Facilitate an emotional response from the reader. An essence all story has a sort of musical quality where the reader can both be elevated by the high-tension moment or calmed and even saddened by the more somber moment just as a good song can. I also feel that when we examine things in that sort of robotic basic way, we lose the essential humanity that any story is trying to tell. All story from the bible to comic books require a sheer humanity to them, that is born from raw emotional expression and physicality. When reading a piece of literature, the reader become part of the narrative in that they are sharing in the emotional high and lows that happen in said story. A great story can evaluate the text from simple words being read to an almost physicality where the reader can almost see and hear what they are reading. Just as music can use it ebb and flow to enrapture the listener, great story and novels can elevate the reader with their complex and deeply human character and themes. For me personally all great stories have that raw emotional core that great music has, and that this quality separates them from simple mechanical ideas with the humane and emotionally complex ones.
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful, written and illustrated descriptive piece about literature playing like music. I, for one, have never interpreted the tones and sounds of literature like this. But when reminded to "remember that we create the music, not the scores—not the scores that are sheets of paper, and not the scores that are marks and grades," I think of the lives we live. The ups and downs, highs and lows, and pitfalls that come along the way. Literature is pure music to my melody. For each poem that I read and book that I delight in, I'm swept away into relatable, wondrous worlds of incredible experiences. Thus, is why I enjoyed reading from an early age. The right literary note has often shaken the very core of my emotions, such as the book of Psalms. Every lyrical line inspires me and reminds me that I am a star that was created to bring light into the night of the lives of others. It pushes me to excel to greatness and encourages me that can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. —Twinkle, Twinkle, a star is born.
ReplyDeleteIt is so interesting to think of ourselves as the instruments of literature! I never thought of myself in this way, but after reading this post, I have to agree! We have the ability to take literature from the page and produce it into music by reading the words aloud, either for ourselves or for an audience. I find this extremely important as an actor, as it is my duty to take what is written on a page and give it life. In a sense, the literature possesses me to tell its story.
ReplyDeleteNot every way of playing is the same, however. For example, I may have a different theory on a written work than my peers. This can be viewed as if I am playing a different instrument. I find one of the many blessings of literature is that there is no right way to view a piece of written work, to analyze it, or to even read it aloud.The beauty of literature is in the many different interpretations from the readers.
The art of understanding literature also takes practice, much like how mastering an instrument takes practice. The more time you spend with your “instrument” (in our case, literature) the easier it will be to work with what is provided. I know that works from Shakespeare are still being analyzed and interpreted in different ways, even though they were written hundreds of years ago! That is the beauty of literature. The music never ends with it, and the readers will keep playing on.
I do believe we tend to take literature at face value and are blind to how rich and dense pieces of literature can be. Especially with Shakespeare. I’ve been learning about how to read his plays for years and every time I learned a new way of approaching his scripts. Just a couple of months ago I learned that Shakspeare's mind is dirtier than a public toilet. There are sexual innuendos in all his plays and these innuendos can help you to find a new layer in the character. For example in “Romeo and Juliet” the most sexual innuendos were between the Nurse and Friar, not Romeo and Juliet. This could show the actors to play these roles more flirtatious than they thought. Reading this blog post also reminded me of rap and how people like Kendrick Lamar who can have such an understanding of words that they can manipulate them in unexpected ways and can rhyme words together you wouldn’t have thought could rhyme. I definitely would have trouble finding the subtleties in poetry and would never have thought that Emily Dickinson’s poem was making us make out with the air as we read her poems. Though I do have my doubts that Emily Dickinson chose the words she did in order for us to mimic the act of kissing. It’s still a very interesting way of looking at it. I hope one day I can read poetry can have thoughts like these. Since they are so out there yet somewhat grounded.
ReplyDeleteJulio Velazquez
The title alone encompasses the clarity that one achieves with art such as music and literature. For years I have said to people “ I like all types of music” and it wasn’t until recent years that I have found my favorite type of music. The music I have come to love overwhelms me and my senses. I feel this has been a result of me maturing and developing a better understanding of not only the music, but myself as well. The same has indeed happen with reading as well. I started college out of high-school at the age of 18 and I was the same person in college that I was in high school. I barely read the assignments and instead took in most of the information from listening because I didn’t understand the readings that were assigned. Now at the age of 25 and at my second college, I still take in a lot of information by listening. However, I now can read assignments and not be afraid of not understanding them. I have matured and gained the ability to appreciate literature in a way I haven’t in the past. I would be lying if I said that reading the works of Shakespeare wasn’t intimidating to me. That being said, I am already enjoying “How to Enjoy Shakespeare” by Robert Fallon. The book is very insightful. I look forward to leaving this class with not only a great appreciation of Shakespeare, but a great appreciation of literature as well.
ReplyDeleteMarcos Vasquez
In the beginning of the blog post, it mainly spoke about how literature is like music in a way. The process we use to learn how to play music good is the same process we use up learn many other things. I never took the time out to actually make this comparison myself. The comparison of learning music to learning literature is such a simple one to understand. When it comes to learning something new, we first are struggling with it and we keep on practicing until we finally get it. I like how the first example you gave when it came to learning how to read in a baby’s perspective. At first the baby goes through some trials and tribulations, that will help the baby grow to understand how to actually read a book the right way.
DeleteTowards the middle of the blog post, it mainly discussed how the readers play a very important role in all types of literature. Learning how to read is very important to actors, writers, artists, musicians and etc. because if their audience can not read properly and understand the true meanings of certain words then their piece of artwork does not really exist. I definitely agree with this statement. For example, if a teacher creates a PowerPoint to show her kindergarten class, that can’t read and it’s filled with so many words then how will the students learn or read it. So therefore, are PowerPoint literally has no use to them.
Another example, that I found interesting was, a pianist playing a great piece of music but, how if he doesn’t feel drawn to it from life experiences the audience will not feel moved from it. There’s a lot of thought and feelings that has to go into playing a piece of music. You can not just get the notes, synchronizes, and rhythms right without actually having an emotional connection to it and expect the audience to truly understand and be touched by the music. I had experience with this when I was in a poem competition with my classmates, we had to recite a poem as best as we could to win first place. The poem had to be read with feelings and you had to have good pronunciation. Not a lot of students understood the part with reading with emotion. They just recited the poem and that’s it. The student who had won connected with the poem and read it with great feelings. When it comes to any piece of literature the words are just words until you give them meaning and understand those words fully.
Keione Neal
When it comes to this article, I found the idea of literature being compared to music as an interesting one as they are both face a similar issue, namely originality. When a famous band moves to cover a classic song like Africa, a lot of people groan rather than get excited. It is not original enough is often the line that accompanies the groan. Meanwhile, a writer who picks a story from the public domain like Hercules is often looked upon with contempt, with many people this assuming they are going to do an uncreative remake of the story with zombies. The thing is that just because they are doing something that is already been done, that does not mean that they are wholesale ripping off the original text. Even when people read stories or sing songs that originate from another individual, they tend to still put their own spin on it intentionally or not. So imagine what a creative songwriter or author can do with an old classic. The twists and turns one inserts can change a classic into something while using people's old expectations of the original to surprise them. Take A Study in Emerald for example, it takes Sherlock Holmes lore along with cosmic horror to create an entirely new story that is almost completely different from its source material. Meanwhile, songs from one genre of music can be transplanted into another to create an entirely new sound, such as playing Take on Me as metal song rather than as rock. Overall, I believe that the work it can take to make an interpretation can sometimes take more effort than making something original and that people should stop looking down at remixes and interpretations as inherently lesser.
ReplyDeleteBy Matthew Ponte
Reading this post reminds me a lot of reading "How to Enjoy Shakespeare" and learning the different ways in which music's rhythm, melody, sounds- is similar to reading Shakespeare. Going to a public high school before college, I was never taught that Shakespeare was more than just unfamiliar words. Even the teachers themselves would say before teaching the lesson, " I know you all will not like reading Shakespeare, but just bare with me". Well of course that was going to make us detest it! However, coming to college and learning Shakespeare in the eyes of an actor, I've learned that it is not the dreadful lesson that I so much disliked back in high school. Firstly, I've learned that Shakespeare is not to be read, but acted out. Like you said in your post, "Literature is something to play not something at to grind away". Looking at his text, word by word, rhythm by rhythm, sound by sound, I've learned to grow fond of Shakespeare and the feelings his words evoke.
ReplyDeletePlaying Literature Like Music Assignment #2
ReplyDeleteThis blogpost was one that really helped me understand my major as a whole. How I the actor must understand both reading and the voice. She explained in the blog that perfecting your reading virtuosity takes years of practice and development like musical virtuosity. I like the way she uses Shakespeare to say that theatre as a whole is nothing without him. I personally believe this because Shakepeare holds an important part in theatre history. She uses an example of a man who has memorized his piano material perfectly and has no energy in performing. She explains that people and the mind will perceive it as it being played by a Robot. I agree with this and how it is used for an actor's piece of literature. She explains how the teacher is the key and prime thing in showing educators the world of literature. As a student learning the world of literature I want a teacher who is passionate about the material. The whole concept of this blog in my opinion is to put both feeling and energy in everything your going to do and every piece of literature you encounter.
Joseph Menocal
ENG 3215 04
“Playing Literature Like Music” makes me want to pick up a book and start reading. Throughout my course in school I have lost my love of reading. It has become such a chore and there is no time to free read when I have a chapter or two due for at least three of my mandatory classes. Reading has lost its melody in my eyes and ears because I am so focused on getting stuff done. My eyes used to dance around a page and my voice would read the lines like sheet music but it doesn't come as easy anymore. I want to love it but it just doesn't feel as magical and as musical as it once did. When I become an educator I want my students to love reading and reading comprehension as much as I once did. I want to make it magical and musical and make their love for reading so deep rooted it never leaves them. I must say in this class reading is becoming a little more interesting for me. I like hearing the mechanics of words being said and how we make sounds as a class. It is confusing trying to understand Shakespeare but at least I don’t feel like I am alone in this literary journey. I hope by the end of this survey I will not only understand somewhat of what I am reading but also love doing the reading.
ReplyDeleteAlyssa Ortiz
I got enlightened by this post because as an English major I am required to do alot of reading. I sometimes read for fun, but when it comes to reading to complete assignments things can get tiresome. I am looking forward to trying this new technique of "playing" what I read, putting myself in the characters shoes and reading with the emotions they might feel.
ReplyDeleteI sometimes get bored when I read a book. The information I am reading seems irrelevant and non- entertaining. How can I find old literature interesting? When I cannot understand the words? Relevance plays a role in finding books interesting. If I can make the information I read about myself, it might make a difference.
Saying that “I create the scores” like you did in the blogpost, means that I am the one creating the vibes and euphoria from the information I am reading. You can read a piece without any form of comparison to yourself and end up with no stimulation. Or you can add yourself to the information you are reading and further the enjoyment with what your reading because you are in it. You can read it in a funny tone or dance around while you read it.
I think fitting myself into the stories I am reading will make a book shorter. A book that is too long can make me unattracted to it. If I am entertained by what I am reading however, the book may go by as fast as a snap of a finger.
This is indeed a good blog post. Something about literature screams art. I'm not sure if it's the words, the rhythm, the curiosity or the melody of my own tone when reading but it transforms my mind.
ReplyDeleteI was introduced to Shakespeare at the young age of seven. I remember watching Mel Gibson play Hamlet and being in awe. What seven year old or child is fascinated with Shakespeare, probably not even his own kids. The way the words were recited and expressed was captivating. The acting was great but if you close your eyes and listen, the style and tone pulls you in. Literature is art. Music is also art. I don't here instruments but I hear words and it is beyond musical.
For those you go to the opera,sure you listen to the song but not many can speak the language. Its the expression of how the words are delivered that leaves you wanting an encore.
My next intro to literature via Shakespeare was Othello. I don't know how to describe it but yes it was the movie starring Laurence Fishburn. These movies, words, purpose guided me to wanting to read the actual words. I needed to understand and see the written emotion.
Eventually poems found me and they sang to me. I think its funny that sometimes when I read any type of literature I hear harps or lyres. I heard them before I actually knew what they were.
Play literature like music.
Meagan AWP 5000
To begin with, I couldn't agree more about how literature can be treated like music. Music is where I find my comfort. Whenever I feel anytime of way, I do not go straight to a notebook and start to write my feeling or what’s on my mind. Yet alone write a poem, I go straight to pick the song that fits my mood. After reading this post, making the connection with music and literature. Music is literature in a different form. This post made me feel more appreciated to literature in many forms. Another reason why I went to lean on music for confront more than writing my feelings out or reading Shakespeare or books I was never a big fan of reading. Well now I know why I do not know a lot of vocabulary words. This post made me realize the connection Dr. Rich did with music and literature, also that beautiful example taking Emily Dickson short stanza and added the body into the poem and made it more realistically, like I was in the moment with Emily having a wild night. That is the area I have trouble with and learning to get out of that.
ReplyDeleteOh man, in your first paragraph my attention was grabbed instantly. Those “schmoop” summaries brings me back to a time in High School where I had to summarize a huge piece of literature that we had “read” mostly aloud in class, and then the rest had to be read on my own terms. That’s where schmoop came to my rescue! I feel I lost interest in literature because of the way I was taught how I was “supposed” to learn it. The typical 5 paragraph essay on what the piece was about, who the protagonist and antagonist were, and what I would do if I was in the story! You know, boring stuff. I guess I never looked at reading literature as music. It's interesting to think that the great Shakespear would neer truly exist if WE did not become the readers, the artists, the theater crafters. This same theory goes for teachers. Yes, we need teachers, but in order for teachers to teach, the students need to chime in and respond. They become their own learners.
ReplyDeleteDifferent ways we can make literature into music is reading it aloud. I’ve noticed throughout my education career that reading aloud has helped me to better understand the information and it really puts me into the story as if I had been there when it was first created. I get lost in my own mind quite often so when I’m silently reading to myself, I tend to get distracted. I now have a different outlook on not just literature, but all future readings I will do.
Growing up, I have always been that person that has said “I am not much of a reader, I would rather just watch the movie.” However, when I started college a year ago I fully realized that what I was saying was wrong. Literature is something that should be cherished and it should be something that people look forward to reading. There are so many wonderful playwrights, poets, and authors out there. One of those being none other than Shakespeare himself. Within a piece of literature there is so much meaning behind everything that is being printed onto paper. In one of my theatre classes here at Kean, a professor said “a person writing something down does not write it for their benefit. They write it so that they can evoke something in the audience and for the audience to look for the deeper meaning and deeper moments in the play or novel.” We forget as people that our job is to analyze the text and find these deeper meanings so that we can use them in discussion and be able to talk about it with our fellow peers. I have yet to see two people who were interested in the same book or play have a discussion about it. I plan to, with the help of this class, to start reading more and more Shakespeare. With this it will ignite in me a love for literature and the abilities that it has to transport a person to a location through the imagination.
ReplyDeleteDavid Rivera, Jr.