Saturday, October 26, 2019
Christian Bök - Inviting Us to Rethink how Language Works Essays
In the post-Modernist world, developments in the sciences overshadow human relationships. To bridge humankindââ¬â¢s alienation from science and technology, Christian Bà ¶k turns science into poetry, and poetry into science. He delves into ââ¬Å"pataphysics,â⬠the poetics of an imaginary science which renders the English language whimsical and at times nonsensical. He also attempts virtuosic feats with his sound and concrete poetry. Bà ¶kââ¬â¢s language welcomes new interpretations and shows that poetry is an ongoing process that can disrupt traditions and reshape them. Bà ¶kââ¬â¢s innovative use of sound, form, and narrative reshapes language, inviting the audience to rethink how language works. Exploring soundââ¬â¢s primitivism, Christian Bà ¶k transforms his poetry into wild vocal terrains. He deconstructs and reinvents meaning in language by banishing words from some of his sound poetry. Following the post-Modernist tradition of melding old materials with new ideas, Bà ¶k re-imagines Dadaist Hugo Ballââ¬â¢s poem ââ¬Å"Seepferdchen und Flugfische (Seahorses and Flying Fish)â⬠by infusing it with his own tempos, pitches, and exclamation points. The ââ¬Å"languageâ⬠in this poem does not consist of words but a string of nonsensical sounds like ââ¬Å"billabiâ⬠, ââ¬Å"zackâ⬠, and ââ¬Å"bisch!â⬠Can language still be ââ¬Å"languageâ⬠without words? To be effective, language must be able to communicate ideas. Bà ¶kââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"languageâ⬠then, communicates ideas through explosions of non-meanings. It relies heavily on its emotive function, stirring the audienceââ¬â¢s imagination with fluctuations in pitch, tone, and te mpo. It is also metalingual: it draws attention to itself as the audience tries to decipher the poem through only the sense of hearing. In his poem ââ¬Å"Valuvà «ulaâ⬠, Bà ¶k chants in an alien language. S... ... Available http://www.ubu.com/sound/bok.html, 2000. Accessed: November 16, 2003. Bà ¶k, Christian. ââ¬Å"Valuvà «ulaâ⬠in UbuWeb Sound Poetry. Available http://www.ubu.com/sound/bok.html, 2000. Accessed: November 16, 2003. Carmine, Starnino. ââ¬Å"Vowel Movements: Pointless Toil and Empty Productivity.â⬠Books in Canada 31, 4 (Jun/Jul 2002): 29. Crawley, Devin. ââ¬Å"[Eunoia].â⬠Quill & Quire 67, 10 (October 2001): 40. Crawley, Devin. ââ¬Å"The book of Bok: authorââ¬â¢s new poetry title uses just one vowel per chapter [Eunoia].â⬠Quill & Quire 67, 10 (October 2001): 9. Dykk, Lloyd. ââ¬Å"Are we having fun yet? Series: 2002: I Resolveâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ The Vancouver Sun [Vancouver], 3 January 2002, p. D12. ââ¬Å"Pataphysics,â⬠The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. 2000 ed. Samuels, Ian. ââ¬Å"Books highlight poetryââ¬â¢s past and present.â⬠Calgary Herald [Calgary], 18 October 2003, p. ES12.
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