Experiment
According to Charles Bernstein, “wreading” involves creative responses to given readings. Actions involved in wreading can include word rearrangements, as well as “locating or isolating certain key linguistic, figurative and rhetorical features of the poem.” I have never done wreading before, but I think its objective (to more deeply investigate a poem’s structure and understand it better) is very interesting. Therefore, using the poem “At the Air and Space Museum” by Linda Pastan, I have carried out my own wreading experiments based on the experiments list (http://writing.upenn.edu/bernstein/wreading-experiments.html). I enjoyed doing them.
Original Poem[edit]
At the Air and Space Musuem
By Linda Pastan
At the Air and Space Museum
When I was
nearly six my
father
opened his magic
doctor bag:
two
tongue depressors fastened by
a rubber
band;
one flick
of his hairy wrist
and lo!
we invented
flight.
Homolinguistic Translation[edit]
Take a poem and translate it "English to English" by substituting word for word, phrase for phrase, line for line, or "free" translation as response to each phrase or sentence.
At the Atmosphere and Universe Gallery
By Linda Pastan
At the Atmosphere and Universe Gallery
When I was
approaching six my
masculine parental unit
uncovered his fantastical
physician container:
duo
flatteners for the muscular organ in our mouths tied by
a latex
tie;
a single movement
of his hirsute joint linking the hand and the forearm
and wow!
we created
the movement of an object or objects through the air
Dialect and idiolect[edit]
Translate or compose a poem or other work into a different dialect or idiolect, your own or other.
Go to Air and Space Museum
Linda Pastan write one
That time I almost six years old
My father open his damn cool doctor bag
Got two you know, the thing when you go to the doctor they ask you to stick out your tongue and they use it to check your mouth and throat
Then got rubber band tie two that thing together
Wah! Then he just move his hand one time
And then the thing fly!!! So cool
(The dialect is Singlish, an English-based creole frequently spoken in Singapore.)
Translation Exercise[edit]
You can use Google tr. in telephone fashion: tr. from one language to another to another and back to original language.
In Chinese:
在航空航天博物馆
由琳达·帕斯坦
当我是
近六个我的
父亲
打开他的魔法
医生袋：
二
压舌器紧固
橡胶
带;
一个轻弹
他的毛茸茸的手腕
和洛！
我们发明了
飞行。
To Malay:
Di muzium aeroangkasa
Oleh Linda Pastan
Apabila saya
Hampir enam daripada saya
Bapa
Buka sihirnya
Beg doktor:
Dua
Tongkat pengikat
Getah
Dengan;
Serpihan
Pergelangan tangannya yang berbulu
Dan Luo!
Kami menciptanya
Terbang.
Back to English:
In the aerospace museum
By Linda Pastan
When I
Nearly six of me
Father
Open his magic
Doctor bag:
Two
Binder rods
Rubber
By;
Debris
Her hairy wrist
Dan Luo!
We created it
Fly.
