“Blog4″ Text Transformation

     Text transformation is an operation which is conducted upon an original text to give it a new character, flavour and impression. Various techniques are used, such us mimed, rewritten, articulated …. etc.  for text transformation without changing the original meaning of the initial text. Some text transformation methods end up with a text of completely different content, such as the method called S+7/N+7. This dictionary method requires the writer to look through the dictionary for a word from the original text, then count and choose the seventh word beyond the initial word and use it in the new transformed text. This technique has been uesd in the example in the hand-out for transforming Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130. It seems that the approches available to transform the text could generate and endles numbers of forms of the first text.

     The text transformation concept is found in music. I want to mention a song that I listened to when I recently attended a concert for the Band “The Fray.” This band presented the song “Hips Don’t Lie” by Shakira using different musical instruments that maintained the interest of the original song, but added a new flavour. Experiencing new atmospheres is one of the objectives of text transformation. 

     From my readings of the text book I found Queneau’s methods and trials of text transformation very obvious. I was able to understand what he wanted to accomplish by his different methods clearly. The precision method is interesting and comical; in it, he describes the scence of the action in terms of length, width and height. Also, he decsribes his story figures by height,weight and exact age. I found this very amusing, but it could not be adopted for a serious novel. Queneau’s double entry method is charachterized by describing incidents, objects and people twice. This way of transforming text provides assertion in description which might help in understanding, but some times it is redundant and monotonous.

     Text transformation is entertaining, amusing, and it is creative process from which new text could be built from many elemental texts.

Text Transformation

* Original Text (1):

I, (name), take you ,(name ), to be my (husband/wife), my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful pertner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we shall live.

                                                                                                        

* Transformed text (1) (Dictionary method)

 I am the male spouse willing to have you as my female spouse, my closest companion, my trustful lifemate and my companion as long as I live. As we all gather here, members of my blood, acquaintances and the Lord, I promise that you will see me beside you in circumistances of being diseased, ill or robust and sound, in the state of being marvelous or rough, in cheerful times or distressful times. No matter the situation, you will be given my devotion and offered my help to set your objectives, be given the feel of dignity and adoration, adjoin you in happiness and saddness, and embrace you as long as our hearts beat.

Original Text (2):

I vow to tell you what is true

That you might touch whom you embrace

because I love and cherish you

Transformed text (2): Queneau’s double entry method 

 I vow and promise to tell and disclose to you what is true and sincere

That you might touch and influnce whom you embrace and hug

Because I love and care for you and I cherish and admire you

* Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?’ He said in reply,  ”Have you not read that from the beginning the Creater made them male and female” and said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be Joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh” ? so they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate.  

 

* Love – is anterior of life -

   Posterior – to Death -

   Initial of Creation, and

   The Exponent of Earth

*You’re there by my side
  In every way
  I know that you would not forsake me                                   
  I give you my life
  Would not think twice
  Your love is all I need believe me I may not say it quite as much as I should
  When I say I love you darling that means for good
  So open up your heart and let me in And I will love you ’til forever
  Until death do us part we’ll be together
  So take my hand and hold on tight And we’ll get there
  This I swear

* Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, It is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interest, it is quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

* There are three sights which warm my heart and are beautiful in the eyes of the Lord and of men: concord among brothers, friendship among neighbors, and a man and wife who are inseparable.

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Works cited:

Elliott, Joanne. Wedding Vows. Retrieved June 25,2007 <http://www.allweddingideas.com/

     weddingvows.shtml>

“Nick Lachey Lyrics” Lyrics A-Z. Retrieved June 25,2007 <www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/

nichlachey/thisiswear.html>.

Munro, Eleanor. Wedding Readings. New York: Viking, 1989.

  The new American BIBLE . United States: Saint Jerome Press, 1987.

“Wedding Vows”. Retrieved June 22,2007, <http://www.poemsfree.com/wedvow.html>

 

Blog3:Sleeping Beauty

          Adaptation in writing means rewriting the work of others. Adaptation could be beneficial in the way that new details and description are added to the original work. Such additional work could involve more elaboration in the description of the scenes that put the reader in a richer environment and various moods. For example, is the rich description of Charles Perrault of the scene of the castle when the prince entered it. The writer gave the reader an image which describes the deep silence and the echo of death that was everywhere in the castle. Also, he pictured all the sleeping figures in the castle weather standing, lying on a couch or on a bed . The reader could not feel this comprehensive description in neither of the two versions of the same story by the Grimm brothers.

         Another benefit of rewriting is adding logic and explanation to the way incidents happen. The reduction of the death wish to a sleep for hundred years is clearly described in the sixth edition version of the Grimm brothers than in the earlier version of the same writers. This is caused by the act of rewriting.

         Also, the addition could involve a major impact to the original story. This is true in the case of the story written by Charles P. who extended the story beyond the awaken of the princes after the prince kissed her. Charles extended the talk about the life of the married couple after marriage, having two kids and the story of the wicked queen who wanted to eat both kids. This is a completely new addition to the story by the Grimm brothers. Although I felt that this addition is worthless, the story looks better with the original marriage end. Nevertheless, I believe addition could be more beneficial in other stories.

         Rewriting is a progression where better quality writing is added to the original work to enhance and add wealth to it.