POETIC CREATIVITY
Poetry and other fiction genres are the best examples of creativity. In poetry, you not only have to be creative, but you have to be a dreamer. The poetic eyes enjoy the gift of perspective that a normal eye never gets to visualize. When a normal eye see beauty in sun rise, the poetic eye may dream and worship the rising sun to be the hope messenger from the heavens invoking the zillions of lives, sprits and souls with renewed hope every day. The poet falls in love with almost everything in nature. The poet's heart is so sensitive that it picks up the slightest vibrations, and quickly springs into a resonance.
Blessed are those with such acute sensitivity.
Creative Ideas in Poetry
Absurd / Nonsense Poetry: With and without any serious meaning
Poetry mania: All forms or writing, everywhere; Poetry invasion; Poetry invades humans and human life.
Dictatorship poetry:
Bills, checks, note pads, notices, napkins, receipts, fortune cookie (not just in Chinese restaurants)
Menu poetry in restaurants: recipe or ingredients in poetic format
Invoices, flow charts, view graphs, bill boards, rock carving, graffiti
Buses, trains, airports: Poetry reading while people are waiting for flights, eating in airport restaurants
Airplanes: poetry reading on the airplane in flight, done by the air hostesses
TV, film credits, titles,
Bathroom tissue
Poetry tattoos
Poetry diagrams or diagram poetry
Picture poetry, picture and poetry; Art work or photo
Poetry in dance, Dance poetry, Poetry and dance combination
Poetry and mime, mime poetry, poetry and mime combination
Poetry for the deaf; Sign language poetry; Combined with regular reading
Slow dose poetry: Only one line, stanza or word per day, hour, week; Sent on internet, read on television or in other poetry reading forums
Marriage invitation poetry: other invitations, greeting cards
Business note poetry: Business notes sent to colleagues, customers and suppliers al in complete or part poetic form
Opposite statements: Different lines, phrases or stanzas carry opposite meaning from each other
Alternatives: words, phrases, lines, stanzas
Intentional replacements: Intentional replacements of words, phrases or stanzas to create a different or specially intended poetic meaning
Intentional misspelling: Intentional misspelling of words, phrases or stanzas to create a different or specially intended poetic meaning
Tree chart poetry: The words, phrases or stanzas arranged in a tree chart; specially useful for techniques using opposites, replacements and misspelling.
Branch poetry: Useful in small tree poetry or flow chart poetry.
Many of these techniques can be effectively implemented using branching to a different part of the page, different page or even different web site using the world wide web. HTML and XML type of languages can be very effectively used for these techniques.
Plato said ... Aristotle said ... Lincoln said ... Bernard Shaw said ... What I say about it.
Reading Techniques
One: One person reads the complete poem. One person reads in a variety of voices (men, women, kids, cartoons, animal), intonations, dictions, voice modulations, accents
Two: Two people read. It can be a combination of men, women, kids, each read a word, phrase, line or stanza
Few: small groups, like three or four, each read a word, phrase, line or stanza
Groups: larger groups, each read a word, phrase, line or stanza
Dialogue format: Two or more people read, but in a dialogue mode. This technique requires poems with dialogues
Original and translation: Both original and translation are read, by one or more people
Original and supplementation: Original is supplemented with words, phrases, lines and stanzas. The supplementation should be creative and interesting, as well as add a new poetic perspective.
Original and different re-compositions: Original poem is recomposed with words, phrases, lines and stanzas. Mostly it is a complete re-composition keeping the theme. It is as if a new poet would write the same poem in place of the original poem. The re-composition should be creative and interesting, as well as add a new poetic perspective.
Alternative versions by the same poet: The same poem can be supplemented or recomposed by the original poet.
NOVEL CONCEPTS IN LITERATURE
(Including Drama) Absence of Interaction and Communication as effective tools:
A new dimension in Literature, Stage, Movie and TV Media
A fusion of thesis and antithesis.
K.R.S. Murthy
Abstract:
The theoretical foundations developed, and presented by me is essentially a fusion of thesis and antithesis; a strange complimentary alliance between interaction and isolation; an interplay between communication and indifference.
Background:
On the night of Nov 22, 1996 I had a dream with interesting situations, characters and experiences. I will describe the dream as a prelude to my ideas, and then elaborate on the idea. The idea is applicable to all forms of literature, the stage, TV and movie media as well. The story is used as a tool to demonstrate a very simple example. The story is intentionally left incomplete, to challenge the readers to continue and complete it and provide an opportunity to employ the theoretical foundations invented and presented by me.
There were many characters in my dream. I was walking in a forest all alone. It was a beautiful forest with tall trees, lot of plants, shrubs, and also some grass here and there. Even though it was full day, the dense forest had blocked the sun, letting only some streaks and bright beams of light on my path. Suddenly, I heard some whispering around some beautiful bushes. It was strange. I have walked, or that is what I believe in my dream memory, for miles in this dense forest. I did not even see any animals. How is it that I am hearing this whisper ! I bent over and looked above the bush line out of sheer curiosity. It was a man talking to his woman. The whisper made me feel that they were romancing. I know it is not polite to disturb, or even go near them, as they deserve their privacy. It is always tempting to know more of what is happening. Unaware of what I was doing, I walked closer and around the bush. It is difficult to say, whether I did it by instinct, or out of just curiosity.
As I closed in, the romantic whisper turned into a brisk conversation between them, and before I realized, a difference of opinion. They seemed to be unaware of my presence in their interaction, especially because I had walked in with out the slightest noise. Soon they started quarreling. I was taken aback. I started to slowly step back. As their argument continued, I fell down tripping on a small rock. A pricky big thorn pierced my side and I shouted instantly. Pulling out the thorn, I stood up, and started apologizing to the couple. They did not seem to care at all. In fact, they did not turn towards me at all, as if they ignored me completely. I realized that I was the intruder in their private moment. I felt that they assumed that I will just go away, and it would be unimportant to respond to me. I really felt guilty. I repeated my apology, this time going closer to the couple, and attempting to get their attention. To my surprise, they did not seem to hear me at all. I! t was perplexing to me. I started sensing that they were probably not seeing me or hearing my voice. It was strange and funny. I could see them, and hear them well, including their romantic whispers earlier. Is it really true that they can not see me or hear me? Have I suddenly become invisible, and inaudible! Have I changed? I always believed that I have not changed and remained the same sensitive person all these years!
What has gotten into me? I sat on the rock confused. I was trying to convince myself that I did not intrude in their privacy, especially because they did not feel my presence all this time.
As I kept wondering about me and the situation, sitting on the rock, I noticed that the pace of their quarrel intensified, and they started walking away from each other in contempt of the other, while the other person watched, worried and followed the one walking away. This went on for some time. It is enough to say that it was a typical quarrel between a fighting couple. I even felt that I should walk away from the scene, and go about my way. It is that temptation which kept me from moving. I may have spent few minutes on the rock with my hand resting my chin. The lady became very furious and walked briskly away from him, but was moving towards the rock, I was sitting on all the while. Realizing that she could not see me, and there is good chance that she may be tripped by me or the rock, I quickly tried to move away. It was a little late anyway.
She had stepped on my feet, and lost balance. She was taken aback. She tried to recover from the fall, but failed and fell into ! my arms, as I had tried to lift her as a simple reaction.
As a matter of habit and courtesy, I asked her if she was hurt, not realizing that she could not see me or hear me. She looked shaken, seeing a stranger holding her. I quickly realized that she was able to see me, and was confused to see someone that she tripped on. I first asked her if she did get hurt. She said she was OK, and looked into my eyes, thanking me.
After a brief moment, I asked her if she did not see me witnessing their romantic whispers, and later their quarrel. She could only acknowledge that she noticed me, as she recovered from the fall after stepping on to some thing. I looked at the man and walked towards him, with the lady walking back with me. I said "I am sorry sir, I did not mean to intrude in your private moments, and I am on my way out.". He did not seem to see or hear me. I said to myself "That is right. He does not know that I am here. She is the only one who can see me or hear me now."
The lady started walking out again, as the man looked the other side, and ignored her. She said "I am really walking out on you this time. I will never come back. This is it. Never never.... never. You can not do anything to get me back. Do you realize it?". He did not seem to look towards her, as if he did not hear her at all. I thought, "What is happening ! They have been arguing so intensely all this time. Is he really ignoring her or he can not even hear her?" It started occurring to me that he could not hear her anymore. By this time, she had walked away from the bushes. I started going towards her, shouting, " Where are you going ? Your husband is worried. Why don't you go back to him and cool down. People say a lot of things they don't mean when they are upset. It is just a matter of some time. You guys will be back with each other again."
'What do you know about him anyway ? You just came into the scene. I have been living with him all these years. He is the same man. He does not pay me any attention. He has never cared about what I want. He is so selfish. He does not even realize that I am part of his life. He is in love with himself.", she said.
(The story is left intentionally incomplete to challenge the readers. The best way to understand the concepts and visualize the ideas presented in this paper is by the reader trying to continue and complete the story / plot. It is a good idea to read the theoretical foundations before attempting to complete the story. Please keep in mind that the story has just begun. You have ample scope to show your imagination, literary skills in fiction, and creativity, and so you can really develop the plot into a nice long story or even a novel. If written well, with interesting twists and turns, your story or novel may become a basis for an interesting drama, movie or TV series)
Theoretical Foundations
Literature of all forms and in all languages of the world is based on narration and interaction / communication between the various characters. This is also true for drama, movie and TV media. However, this paper proposes that lack or even absence of interaction / communication between the characters can be used as effective tools / techniques in narration, and aids the author of the literary piece to provide a special perspective to relationships. The theoretical foundations developed, and presented by me is essentially a fusion of thesis and antithesis; a strange complimentary alliance between interaction and isolation; an interplay between communication and indifference.
Let us assume that there are many roles in the drama. Let us call the roles as A,B,C,D . . .Z. The interaction between the roles is dependent on many parameters. Some roles may not naturally interact with each other, as they either come at different times in the story / plot of the drama or do not need to interact at all. Generally, the interaction is bilateral; that is, two are more roles interact with each other in both directions. However, this paper presents techniques and ideas with unbalanced communication and interaction between the roles. The idea can be used as a tool / technique to create symbolic situations, to show relationships, to weave a theme or to bring out conclusions, in the story or plot which otherwise may be tedious or impossible to do.
The techniques can also be powerfully employed in dramas, TV episodes and movies. The story writer or the dramatist can incorporate the ideas, and the director can use it very effectively. I will use some examples to illustrate the idea.
Unilateral communication and interaction:
A can see E, but E can not see A. A talks to E, but E does not talk to A. A hears everything said by E, but E does not hear A. A feels E, but E does not feel A. This can be represented by the following relationship.
Interaction A------->E E------>A
See ------------YES---------NO
Hear -----------YES---------NO
Talk -----------YES---------NO
Touch or Feel --YES---------NO
The relationship between A and E is completely one way. The following examples give partial one way, but some bilateral relationships.
Partial Relationships:
The reader may be familiar with the relationship expressions by now. So I will show partial relationship examples by expressions only.
Interaction B----->C C--------->B
See ------------NO ---------YES
Hear ----------YES ---------YES
Talk ----------YES ----------NO
Touch or Feel - NO ----------NO
The relationships may not be limited to see, hear, talk and feel only. Any suitable type of relationship can be used depending on the needs and creativity of the writer and director. The relationships may not be limited to two individual characters. Group relationships can also be employed effectively. The relationship can also be used between people, animals and inanimate objects. The animals and inanimate objects can be played by people in a story or plot of the drama, TV episodes and movie.
A matrix of all possible combinations for relationships between two characters can be derived, so that suitable options can be selected for use in the story or plot. Such a matrix may be used by the author or director as an aid in envisioning possible relations between the characters.
Interaction A-------------->B B------------->A
See ---------------YES -----------------YES
Hear ---------------NO ------------------NO
Talk --------------YES ------------------NO
Touch or Feel -----YES-------------------NO
The relationships can change between two characters over the duration and scope of the story or plot. The changes in relationships with time or events can be powerful symbols and a tool for effective story telling. The techniques can be used to present a theosophy or philosophy, as well.
Triggers for status change in interaction / communication
Interaction between two characters of the story or plot change from one state to the other as a result of a trigger. Let us take the example of the story in this paper. Let us call the couple X and Y, where X is the husband and Y is the wife. Let the person played by me in the dream be Z. In the beginning of story, X and Y were communicating between each other completely and well. However, interaction between Z and the couple was none. Z could see and hear X and Y. However, X and Y could not see or hear Z at all. However, as soon as Y tripped on, and so touched, Z who was sitting on the rock, she started seeing and hearing Z. In fact, Y did not even see the rock on which Z was sitting, probably because Z sitting on it. That is why she did not walk around the rock, avoiding it. This status change in interaction / communication happened as soon as Y touched Z. This touch (can also be perceived as an event) triggered the change in status of interaction / communication between Y and Z. As we read the story past this event, the status of interaction / communication between Y and X also changed. That is, X could not see or hear Y after the event. Please also notice that Y could see X, when she was talking to X, while walking out on him.
Such an event can be termed as triggers. Many types of triggers could be designed and employed by the creator or author of the story or plot. Some examples of such triggers are listed below:
Sensory Experiences
Sensory experiences like seeing, hearing, smelling, eating, drinking, speaking (certain words or phrases), touching and feeling. The sensory experiences can trigger individuals or pairs or a small group of people with some common characteristics. Sensory experience of one kind may trigger a change in status of another sensory perception. In the story, even though Y could not see or hear Z at all, the status changed when Y touched Z, while tripping over him. In this case, a touch experience triggered a change in the see and hear perception of Y towards Z. At the same time, see and hear perception of X changed towards Y, because of the event of Y touching Z.
Events
Examples of events include birth, death, physical relationship (like love, fighting), travel, marriage and murder. Authors can introduce many types of events as triggers, with almost limitless possibilities, and a variety of effects, used as tools to drive home a variety of meanings in the story.
Possession
Possession of certain objects or wearing a particular dress or an ornament can be used as a trigger. As an example, some one could become invisible (or even inaudible) to one or a particular group of people ( or even animals) while wearing a particular dress, ornament or possessing an object in their hand (or any part of the body).
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