I've already done a Google search for the poem, and I would like you to read these three versions of the same poem. Note that before the URL, I've named these web pages in the same manner as their authors have. Hopefully this will allow us to begin to distinguish them.
- The Hollow Men - http://www.blight.com/~sparkle/poems/hollow.html
- "The Hollow Men" - http://www.columbia.edu/itc/tc/scfu4016/hollow.html
- A Hypertext Version of T.S. Eliot's "The Hollow Men" - http://www.aduni.org/~heather/occs/honors/Poem.htm
- Read the identical poems in this order.
- Read each version before you move to the next one.
- Do not scan them, take note of their differences and similarities.
- Make notes as you read to help you understand the meaning of the poem.
- Look up, and then write down all the words you do not understand. I suggest the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, but since you are already online, go to www.m-w.com (The Merriam - Webster Online Dictionary). Note, there's a link to this dictionary in the Links section of this blog.
- Ask yourself, are the poems different from one another?
- Is one version harder to read than another? Why (Consider colour and layout)?
- Does the reader's understanding of the theme of the poem change from any particular version?
- How can a reader be sure of the authenticity of a poem on the internet?
- What are the benefits and disadvantages to having poetry on the internet?
- Are there historical or editorial reasons for changes in these poems?
This is a bonus discussion topic. You will not be penalized if you do not participate.
2 comments:
The poem “The Hollow Men” by T.S. Elliot can be presented to us in various ways. There is no doubt that his message in this poem is absolute. The different published versions from the Internet can be noted as interpretations of the readers who posted it. There are obvious differences among the three versions and these are the layout, font and the pretext.
The purpose of a layout is to soothe your eyes when you read a text. For instance, the layout of the first version is more effective because it used an appropriate background. The shade of purple that was used in the background gave a dark effect when reading the poem. Having the background purple and the text yellow give eyes the perfect imagery. This effect of imagery can also be seen in the Bantam Classic Edition book cover of Heart of Darkness (dark bloom colour scheme). The other two versions of the poem were not as pleasing to the eyes when read. The use of a dull font such as Courier New and Times New Roman and a plain white background did not give a special effect unlike the first version. The first version was more intimate.
The three versions had equal degree of difficulty when it came to understanding the poem. None of it decreased or increased the difficulty of the words and the meaning of the symbols and metaphors that Elliot used.
Although all the three versions pursue to stay consistent to one theme, each of them has different pretext. In the first version, “Mr. Kurz – he dead” is an obvious reference to Kurtz in Heart of Darkness. This played a big impact on reading the poem because it allows readers to remind themselves about Kurtz as they read the poem. In addition, this poem, as we know, is an allusion to Heart of Darkness and other works of literature. By mentioning Kurtz in the pretext of the poem, it allows us to put the descriptions of a hollow man into a character that we have learned.
The line, “Mistah Kurtz – he dead” was omitted in the second of the poem. The publisher of this version is trying to give us a different insight on the poem. By omitting the first line, the publisher is trying to tell us to drift away from Kurtz and reflect on ourselves as the Hollow Men instead of Kurtz.
The third version consists of both the lines but it was placed in a different order. The line “Mistah Kurtz – he dead” was put before the title. According to Heather Van Aelst, the publisher of this online version, this is called an epigraph to the section. According to her, these were the words spoken to announce the death of a great man, Kurtz.
The third version contained a detailed explanation of the entire poem. This gives the reader a broad scope of the different allusions of this poem. Upon reading the third version, different paths have opened up. This version shows reference to Dante’s The Divine Comedy, Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and the story of Guy Fawkes and the Gun Powder Plot (which includes the ideas that are presented in the film “V for Vendetta”). The connection of these works of literature tells us two things; one, it tells us that all of them have an identical theme; two, it tells us that this poem is the root of most modern contemporary works and others to follow in the future.
The underlying theme of the poem – if we are unable to transvaluate, we become hollow inside and our death will bring us to a realization of the truth but it will be too late to react (Not with a bang, but a whisper) – is untouched despite the differences amongst the three versions. The authenticity of the poem does not matter. It doesn’t matter whether it is published in a book, a scroll or the Internet. It is the message that counts. The search for authenticity will stop as soon as the theme is found, learned and understood. The task of T.S. Elliot is accomplished as soon as we recognize a Hollow Man.
“The Hollow Men”
When read three or more times, realization hits 'upside the head.' The three different versions have the same content, but formatted very differently, which did affect the reading of the poem.
The first URL had it quite simple on a dark background with light font, which was easy to read and go through, without having to go back and reread to understand the punctuation, and emphasis.
The second URL was in plain notepad style font, small, and indented in many areas. This version also did not contain the line in the beginning “Mistah Kurz - he dead.” Also the first stanza in V is italicized, but is not italicized in the first version.
The third, the hypertext version is very helpful to understand what T.S Eliot is trying to convey through the words, and the referencing of his choice of words. It is very organized and has line numbers for easy referencing.
Overall the first URL was good, to keep the interpretation open for the imagination to understand and visualize. The third URL was a good source to better understand the poem, and where the original referencing is from especially if the reader has read Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.
Authenticity of website is quite easy to recognize if it is a .edu, or .org the site is mostly published by an educational institution or a legitimate organization where in the site contact information is available, in the case of the second URL by Columbia University in New York City. The third URL is by Alumni of ArsDigita University, the home page of the site has description and links showing the history of the organization, etc.
Even though the words in the poem were consistent throughout the three different versions, the theme could be interpreted differently to some degree, this would apply to any work in literature, the number of times the poem is read thourgh makes big difference in how it is interpreted.
Poetry on the Internet is quite useful, especially if the younger generations have to be exposed to it. Since reading, ‘is not the done thing’ anymore and ‘surfing the internet’ is poetry online is very useful. It can have its disadvantages as well, since the poem can be published by anyone, and the credibility of the poem online declines drastically. It can be edited and manipulated from its original form.
"Between the conception
And the creation
Between the emotion
And the response
Falls the Shadow" T.S Eliot "The Hollow Men"
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