Transcription Squiggles

By Rhiannonw

Sat, 05 May 2018
  • 2156 reads
9 comments
 

I have a thought,
and into speech
I speak my thought
but want to reach
a far-flung audience with my thought
– how can its words be truly caught,
perused, examined, understood
correctly in some other place? …
– each sound must be portrayed with ink
upon a surface so they link
and accurately represent
the notion, meaning that I meant,
and squiggles, letters known to all
in groups or singly will recall
a sound, a sentence when inscribed
on paper or computer screen,
then duplicated, travel on
and be by many others seen,
– my thought is read then far away
through coming days and months and years –

and will it cheer and edify
those unknown minds, attentive ears?

[IP: Letters]

 

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Poem
Miscellaneous
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)

Comments

Submitted by Parson Thru on

A perennial question. I see it as being a bit like releasing a hand-reared animal into the wild. Or a child, perhaps. It has its own life. Technical manuals and commercial documents, a different story. One builds interpretation and ambiguity in, the other strives to avoid it.

Parson Thru

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Yes, it was a last thought as the main purpose was to think of the use of 'letters' in transcribing so that publication can occur (taking a different line on the IP of 'letters') (and with thought to getting spoken languages into a writing form which still is being worked on in many countries), but as a last thought the need for thought about what we do publish and send on its way outward … Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Parson Thru on

A lot of those languages are vanishing before they can ever be transcribed. Progress!!

Parson Thru

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

A fascinating sideways approach to the IP - thank you for posting it!

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, Insert. I felt I had written some things about letters in other ways in recent days, and found my mind taken with this and thought why not – you hadn't specified what kind of letters! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

The less specification the better Rhiannon - that way we get little gems like yours!

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Appreciated! and those IPs do stir subconcious thought directions somehow, so thanks for the efforts in thinking or them! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by PoetonaHill on

Hi Rhiannon - Yep it's magic stuff that a couple of dozen little squiggles can create Shakespeare and the BIble. But equally fascinating is the thing that when we release our thoughts into space they eventually land in other people's minds and create a reaction there. But the picture they create there is seldom identical to the picture we released because their picture is influenced by their experiences. And in this snowflake era of ours we can suddenly cause offence, where no offence was launched. I sometimes get a feeling of wicked satisfaction when someone throws up their arms in a tantrum of horrified offence at some innocent line of mine.  Then again, I am a bit perverse. Charlie

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

mm, yes! Though it is good to give thought to clarity! and remember that our facial expression, body language and associated chatter which can help when talking face to face, is missing to our readers. A bit of checking, thinking, before posting can save from some ambiguity and uninteded offence, but as you say, we seem to live at a time when some don't want to hear another opinion, point, (and also don't always read carefully, and jump to hasty and odd interpretation of what they read) and shoot out anger without much thought too. Rhiannon