Prezi Response

Electronic texts improve upon print in that electronic texts can be produced and shared much faster.  There is a sense of instant gratification that print cannot have because of the mechanical process it takes.  Digital spaces can also provide pictures, videos, links, and/or music with the text; print cannot make use of these functions. The print medium for the most part is very set-in-stone, and electronic texts are malleable and can change as much as desired by the author (and readers may also have the ability to change things based on the situation).  In addition, the electronic way of communicating allows much more people access to promote their thoughts, opinions, and ideas.  Because the new digital format introduces countless advantages over print, it’s inevitable the mass majority of people will accept it as the “standard.”

"Stitch Bitch" Inkshedding Activity

"In hypertext everything is there at once and equally weighted."

This statement means that in hypertext (or the text-within-text found in digital formats, or 'links'), one click can bring you anywhere ("there at once") and that even small amounts of words can give off a wealth of information ("equally weighted").

Bolter Text: First Thoughts

Bolter’s introduction in “Writing Space” talks about digital media’s rise in popularity and how it now seems to overshadow the print form.  This text having been written in 2001, a full decade ago, I had to take the author’s writing with comprehension of the fact that back then digital technologies were not yet as mainstream as they are today.  Having said that I believe we are indeed headed towards a digital-exclusive world.  Although it won’t happen over night, I believe the digital format will eventually become recognized as prestigious a medium as print, and once that happens, it’s inevitable that the print form will be deemed obsolete.

I think this change is healthy because like any medium (films, music, video games), how we read and write will be constantly evolving.  Just because we are slowly moving away from print materials doesn’t mean that writing is losing its legitimacy; I think that’s simply an irrational fear from “purists.”  In fact, this new digital age will bring new life and possibilities to the world of literature.  Nowadays virtually anybody can post their thoughts, opinions, stories, or anecdotes online for the world to see, which is in my mind the best way for ideas to be spread and information to be learned.

Taylor Mali's Poem

How does the form of the poem affect your apprehension and appreciation for it?

The form of a poem can alter a person’s perception, whether it is expressed through the written word or told orally.  In Taylor Mali’s poem, the way in which he orates his piece adds life and humor to a somewhat “dry” lesson in confidence in communication.  The ideas worked in the strictly audio form (the stand-up special) because his delivery added a “spice” to the work. However, as good as it was as a stand-alone oral routine, the “written word” version of the speech certainly aided and helped in the overall comprehension and appreciation of the piece.  The visual words overlapped by the narration emphasized important wordings and phrases spoken by Mali.  The words were a great addition to Mali’s poem, but on their own without the dialogue, the words would not do it justice.

Four-Letter Word Project

I edited the Four-Letter Word project using Final Cut Pro editing software.  The images were found using Google Images and the [copyright-free] music came DeWolfemusic.com.

A sentence starts out like...

A sentence starts out like an unhatched egg; it could turn out to be a newborn chick or somebody’s omelette.  It’s the writer’s job to choose the fate of the egg, and hopefully he doesn’t crack under pressure.  A sentence that is terribly structured or without meaning is a hollow egg – a good writer wants to produce an egg full of nutrients to either help the chicken or the breakfast platter.  A good cook also adds spices (word choice) to make his food taste great, and a farmer will make a comfortable environment for hens to lay eggs (writing without distractions).

Billy Collins - Peer Question Responses

Do you feel that cliche metaphors are ineffective at conveying strong meaning?

Not necessarily; if used in the right way a clichéd metaphor can work wonders for a piece, but the entire thing can’t be riddled with them.  If an entire poem or story is made up solely of the expected and overused, how could a reader possibly feel anything towards it?  It lacks creativity, or the key word: love.  It was as if a robot made the card on an assembly line; it just makes generic “lovey-dubby” terms to the mass at large.  

What gave you the idea to expand on the original poem? Was it that the original was inadequate or was it a sort of homage?

The Original poem was full of over-the-top statements and metaphors, resulting in a deadening, lifeless piece.  A revision of the poem was necessary because now people will know what works and doesn’t work in poetry.  Simply smacking down countless metaphors is not the way to win over a “special friend.”  Achieving your message, even if it’s through humor, as the revision did, will not work if only uninspiring analogies are present.

Do you feel that your poem is better than the original or are you solely trying to prove a point?

I think both of those things.  On one hand, the revised poem has much more life and personality, whereas the original felt oddly loveless.  The point to make here is that there isn’t a single way to write a love letter; bad poets don’t know this fact or chose not to acknowledge it. They go ahead to write meaningless comparisons that feel synthetic and dull.

Why do you think the original author chose these specific comparisons?

The original author chose these comparisons because they were easy to visualize and the objects he chose were full of beauty.  It was a quick and easy way to gratify the audience.  The bread and the knife, the dew on the grass: they are all easily definable things that most people consider “pretty.”  This is a cheap way out; instead of writing something actually meaningful, the writer just churns out a bunch of associations.

Do you think the person who originally made the poem thinks yours is better?

Somehow I doubt the original “poet” thinks the revised poem is better than his or her own.  I bet the man (or woman) who wrote it did so for some quick cash and doesn’t really care about real constructive criticism.  Hallmark and other card companies eat this stuff up, so he (or she) is probably doing well for his/herself.

Do you think the original author of the poem expressed his love honestly or was just spewing out what he thought would impress his lover?

This author’s work has nothing to do with “love.”  He wrote it thinking that the public would flock like birds to the card store and see this poem and buy it thinking that their significant other would be happy.  This poem wasn’t written for love, it was written for capital gain.