Pattern ID

Identity two non-written human language and/or non-spoken human language paaterns, and explain/demonstrate how these patterns might become (forms of) templates for written and/or spoken human language expression. You may demonstrate how these patterns form (or contribute to) an existing poetic form, or you may demonstrate how the patterns you identify might contribute to am orginal poetic form. // Please post, in your course-related blog, the identified patterns and the form(s) to which the identified patterns contribute.

The first non-written/spoken language that comes to mind is perhaps not commonly perceived as a language: music. Although music can certainly be written using its own notation system, its power to move and express lies in acoustics; its physical transcription serves solely as a memory/communication tool. The language of music conveys a dimension distinct from and deeper than “ordinary” language, such as English, Arabic, or Chinese, is able to. All music, from Mozart’s sweeping symphonies to Justin Timberlake’s “Sexyback,” (pardon the coarse-mannered comparison) can already be considered poetic forms in themselves. Slam and spoken word poetry find one way to incorporate some unique elements of music into the standard English poetic form. Words are arranged in rhythms more often utilized in music than in ordinary speech, and to reinforce the primary role of this cadence (and to use it as a catalyst for further expression), such poetry is usually performed (Example Clip). Even on a page, slam poetry has a distinct look and syntax: long sentences hurtle along with internal rhyme to create a sense of visceral momentum.

Another language that could recreate standard poetic form is Braille, which is not spoken and actually not truly written (because the purpose of writing is to be read with the eyes). Rather, meaning in Braille is conveyed through the entirely different sense of touch. This opens up a whole new gateway to possibilities in expression. Can one deliver poetry through the skin? The dimensional capacities of Braille are difficult to capture using objects as visible as words, even though Braille itself is originally meant to convey the meaning of words through an alternate course. Perhaps a pattern or rhythm of textures could embody a poetic thought, or words strive to mimic the sensation of touch in order to create a wholly new poetic/interpretive experience. This could be done by inciting images of textures, arranging words in patterns to resemble textures, or even by creating “touchable” poetry, in which words lift off the page, or textures themselves are incorporated into the literary body.

Other languages that would be interesting to consider are mathematic symbols, sign language, and computer codes such as C++.