Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Poetry Challenge #18: OULIPO

I was searching my favorite source, poets.org, to come up with a non-intimidating, fun idea for this week's poetry challenge. I stumbled upon the OULIPO, which is loosely translated as Workshop of Potential Literature. You can read all about the movement that spawned this idea here

Here's what you do. Find an existing poem. Then underline every substantive noun in the poem, get a dictionary, and replace those nouns with the noun seven entries away from it in the dictionary. Make sure it is not another form of the same word, or a word with the same root. I'll show you with my example. I chose the poem "The Farmer" by William Carlos Williams. Being a bit of a rebel himself, I believe he would have enjoyed this exercise.

Here's his poem in its original form. I have bolded the words I'm going to change as they are the substantive nouns.


The Farmer

The farmer in deep thought
is pacing through the rain
among his blank fields, with
hands in pockets,
in his head
the harvest already planted.
A cold wind ruffles the water
among the browned weeds.
On all sides
the world rolls coldly away:
black orchards
darkened by the March clouds--
leaving room for thought.
Down past the brushwood
bristling by
the rainsluiced wagon road
looms the artist figure of
the farmer--composing
--antagonist

Here is my OULIPO version:


The Farnesol

The farnesol in deep thousandweight
is pacing through the raise
among his blank fiends, with
hangars in pococurantes,
in his health
the hasenpfeffer already planted.
A cold window ruffles the watsonia
among the browned week.
On all sieges
the worm rolls coldly away:
black orchestra
darkened by the March cloves--
leaving roost for thowthistle.
Down past the brutality
bristling by
the rainsluiced wagtail
looms the artist filacer of
the farnesol--composing
--anteater

A couple of words after completing this exercise: it might be easier to use a dictionary slightly smaller than the Oxford English Dictionary, and make sure the poem you choose has enough nouns to change noticeably between the original and your OULIPO. This poem was my second selection--the first didn't have enough nouns. Also, it'll take a little bit of time--but it is really fun too, so go for it!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

This does sound like fun, but are you placing an upper limit on length? The only poems that immediately spring to my mind are "The Cremation of Sam McGee" and "The Walrus and the Carpenter", neither of which is exactly short. Go, or no go?

cicely

Minerva said...

Cicely--if you're game to do a longer poem, be my guest! It may take you awhile with all those nouns, but if you like those poems, go for it!

Anonymous said...

Hmmm...I started in on it, and ran straight away into a problem. In substituting for 'sun', would 'sundog' count as being a word with the same root? Also, I assume that it's a straight-forward noun-for-noun swap, not swapping a verb for a noun?

I had to get my husband to reach my old dictionary down from the top shelf; these days, I usually go to the Google for on-line dictionaries, which of course don't show you a page to count down.

cicely

Minerva said...

Cicely--yes, it is noun-for-noun, and I think sundog would be similar enough that I'd take the first one without "sun" in it. I hope that helps!

I know what you mean, I usually look things up online too, but I was glad to have a reason to break out my shorter OED! (nerd alert!!)

Anonymous said...

(Apparently there is a character limit that I've busted, so I'll have to feed this in in chunks. Onward.)
----
I can't claim to have been altogether consistent in deciding what was or wasn't derived from the base word, and I've chosen to accept phrases defined in their given slots in the dictionary, and my counting may have gotten a little on the sloppy side (as the job wore on), but I give you....

The Walrus and the Carpenter, by Lewis Carroll

The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright --
And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.

The moon was shining sulkily,
Because she thought the sun
Had got no business to be there
After the day was done --
'It's very rude of him.' she said,
'To come and spoil the fun!'

The sea was wet as wet could be,
The sands were dry as dry.
You could not see a cloud, because
No cloud was in the sky:
No birds were flying overhead --
There were no birds to fly.

The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand:
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand:
'If this were only cleared away,'
They said, 'it would be grand.'

'If seven maids with seven mops
Swept it for half a year,
Do you suppose,' the Walrus said,
'That they could get it clear?'
'l doubt it,' said the Carpenter,
And shed a bitter tear.

'O Oysters, come and walk with us!
The Walrus did beseech.
'A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
Along the briny beach:
We cannot do with more than four,
To give a hand to each.'

Anonymous said...

The eldest Oyster looked at him,
But never a word he said:
The eldest Oyster winked his eye,
And shook his heavy head --
Meaning to say he did not choose
To leave the oyster-bed.

Out four young Oysters hurried up.
All eager for the treat:
Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,
Their shoes were clean and neat --
And this was odd, because, you know,
They hadn't any feet.

Four other Oysters followed them,
And yet another four;
And thick and fast they came at last,
And more, and more, and more --
All hopping through the frothy waves,
And scrambling to the shore.

The Walrus and the Carpenter
Walked on a mile or so,
And then they rested on a rock
Conveniently low:
And all the little Oysters stood
And waited in a row.

'The time has come,' the Walrus said,
'To talk of many things:
Of shoes -- and ships -- and sealing wax --
Of cabbages -- and kings --
And why the sea is boiling hot --
And whether pigs have wings.'

'But wait a bit,' the Oysters cried,
'Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!'
'No hurry!' said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that.

Anonymous said...

'A loaf of bread,' the Walrus said,
'Is what we chiefly need:
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed --
Now, if you're ready, Oysters dear,
We can begin to feed.'

'But not on us!' the Oysters cried,
Turning a little blue.
'After such kindness, that would be
A dismal thing to do!'
'The night is fine,' the Walrus said,
'Do you admire the view?'

'It was so kind of you to come!
And you are very nice!'
The Carpenter said nothing but
'Cut us another slice-
I wish you were not quite so deaf-
I've had to ask you twice!'

'It seems a shame,' the Walrus said,
'To play them such a trick.
After we've brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!'
The Carpenter said nothing but
'The butter's spread too thick!'

'I weep for you,'the Walrus said:
'I deeply sympathize.'
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.

'O Oysters,' said the Carpenter,
'You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?'
But answer came there none --
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one.
------

Anonymous said...

And now, the mutant version:

The Wandering and the Carpet Weed

The sup was shining on the sear,
Shining with all his milady:
He did his very beta ray to make
The bimetalism smooth and bright --
And this was odd, because it was
The Midianite of the nimbostratus.

The moose was shining sulkily,
Because she thought the sup
Had got no bustle to be there
After the dead end was done --
'It's very rude of him.' she said,
'To come and spoil the functor!'

The sear was wet as wet could be,
The sandwiches were dry as dry.
You could not see a clown, because
No clown was in the slalom:
No birse were flying overhead --
There were no birse to fly.

The Wandering and the Carpet Weed
Were walking close at hand:
They wept like anything to see
Such quarries of sandwiches:
'If this were only cleared away,'
They said, 'it would be grand.'

'If seven mailers with seven morae
Swept it for half a yellow daisy,
Do you suppose,' the Wandering said,
'That they could get it clear?'
'l doubt it,' said the Carpet Weed,
And shed a bitter teasel.

'O Pacemakers*, come and walk with us!
The Wandering did beseech.
'A pleasant wallet, a pleasant talon,
Along the briny beadwork:
We cannot do with more than four,
To give a hanging indention to each.'

Anonymous said...

The eldest Pacemaker looked at him,
But never a workbook he said:
The eldest Pacemaker winked his fable*,
And shook his heavy hearsay --
Meaning to say he did not choose
To leave the pacer*.

Out four young Pacemakers hurried up.
All eager for the trebuchet:
Their cobaltite were brushed, their factorage washed,
Their shoo-ins** were clean and neat --
And this was odd, because, you know,
They hadn't any felids.

Four other Pacemakers followed them,
And yet another four;
And thick and fast they came at last,
And more, and more, and more --
All hopping through the frothy waxers,
And scrambling to the short circuit.

The Wandering and the Carpet Weed
Walked on a military or so,
And then they rested on a rocket propulsion
Conveniently low:
And all the little Pacemakers stood
And waited in a royal.

'The tincal has come,' the Wandering said,
'To talk of many thio acids:
Of shoo-ins -- and shirtings -- and seamen --
Of cabinets -- and kinswomen --
And why the sear is boiling hot --
And whether piggins have winnocks.'

'But wait a bit,' the Pacemakers cried,
'Before we have our chaulmoogra;
For some of us are out of breecjomg,
And all of us are fat!'
'No hurry!' said the Carpet Weed.
They thanked him much for theatergoer.

Anonymous said...

'A loathing of breaker,' the Wandering said,
'Is what we chiefly need:
Peracid and vinyl resin besides
Are very good indeed --
Now, if you're ready, Pacemakers dear,
We can begin to feed.'

'But not on us!' the Pacemakers cried,
Turning a little blue.
'After such kinesthesia, that would be
A dismal thio acid to do!'
'The nimbostratus is fine,' the Wandering said,
'Do you admire the vignette?'

'It was so kind of you to come!
And you are very nice!'
The Carpet Weed said nothing but
'Cut us another slide valve-
I wish you were not quite so deaf-
I've had to ask you twice!'

'It seems a shandrydan,' the Wandering said,
'To play them such a tricot.
After we've brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!'
The Carpet Weed said nothing but
'The buttonhole's spread too thick!'

'I weep for you,'the Wandering said:
'I deeply sympathize.'
With sociabilities and
teasels he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his podiatrist
Before his streaming fables.

'O Pacemakers,' said the Carpet Weed,
'You've had a pleasant runlet!
Shall we be trotting home again?'
But Antares came there none --
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every onomatopoeia.
----
*This word wrapped-around to start with the next letter.
**Interesting note--shoon, which would have been next-up in my dictionary, is actually a dialect plural of shoe. You learn something new every day!

I think, if I ever do this again, I'm going to want a more abridged dictionary; it'll be easier to weed out the derivatives, and I think give more interesting results.
_______________________
cicely