Extended Techniques - Typography

My extended technique area is typography. We have been looking at other ways of using type, creating our own.

The idea is to get some meaning into the words so that they don't simply look like 'cold/dead' type, an emotional attachment. This can later be used to make a piece, which can be animated or in print. We were given some poems suggested to us by Richard Brautigan, which are quite interesting. I want to use this one by the Modernist painter and poet ee cummings:

ygUDuh

ygUDuh

ydoan
yunnuhstan

ydoan o
yunnuhstand dem
yguduh ged

yunnuhstan dem doidee
yguduh ged riduh
ydoan o nudn

LISN bud LISN

dem
gud
am

lidl yelluh bas
tuds weer goin

duhSIVILEYEzum

ee cummings

The poem is the inarticulate stumbling of a New Yorker in a bar, trying to explain America's involvement in WW2 and having to restart his explanation over and over again until he finally puts it in terms he himself understands. It reads (de-New Yorked!) :

You've got to...

You don't understand...

You don't know...
You understand them...
You've got to get...

You understand them dirty...
You've got to get rid of...
You don't know nothing...

Listen, bud, listen...

Them goddam

little yellow bastards
We're going
To civilise them.

You can read it as the words of a good but uneducated man, struggling to tell someone why it is necessary to do something he knows in his heart is right. Or you can read it as the words of an arrogant fool who simply reveals the shallowness of his own understanding. Or you can read it as the words of a sincere but unsophisticated working man, caught up in the propaganda of war. I'm sure there are many other slants one can put on it. However you read it, the sobering effect of 'Weer goin duhSIVILEYEzum' eventually emerging as his understanding of the reason for going to war is profound.

Quite possibly one of the greatest poems of the 20th century.

The only problem is that I have been unable to locate an audio reading file. I found that there is one in existence, but it isn't easy to find. I could try getting my own recorded.

It is also noted that ee cummings often set out his poems in a certain way (see graphic above). The way the lines were written draw the sahpe of a soldier.

ALTERNATIVES:

I don't know how easy it would be to get a recording of a reading of ee cummings poem, so I have been thinking of other options. I am quite a fan of the Kings of Leon, and their track "Chamer" appeals. There isn't the same linguistic appeal as the ee cummings thing, but it has a fantastic delivery; screamed out at times, and the singer sounds unhinged and manic. He also times his delivery in an interesting way.

For the final thing I had in mind I think that it would possibly be too much work for me alone to finish the whole song (even though this song is only two minutes in length), but I can visualise the first half in my head.

These are the lyrics:

She's such a charmer oh no.
She's such a charmer oh no.
She's always looking at me.
She's always looking at me.
She's such a charmer oh no.

She's stole my karma oh no.
Sold it to the farmer oh no.
She's always looking at me.
She's always looking at me.
She's such a charmer oh no.

Born in west virginia oh no.
Married to the preacher oh no.
Shes always looking at me.
Shes always looking at me.
Shes such a charmer oh no.

Shes always looking at me.
Shes always looking at me.
Shes such a charmer oh no. oh no.

and the song is available on iTunes.