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25 June 2005: I have another new word: orthographor--oar THAH gruh for. Meaning: a word's spelling used as a metaphor for what the word denotes. Aram Saroyan's spelling of "lighght" would be an example: a spelling that lengthens, and adds silences to a word acts as a metaphor for what the word denotes. I gives Cummings credit for being the first to use the device, or the first to use it effectively, as with the "ccocoucougcoughcoughi/ ng" in one of his poems, and the "mmamakmakemakes" in another. Perhaps my very favorite, if it qualifies, is "r?n." This actually consists of the "r" of "softer" and the "n" of "no one," but--in context, in a poem about the softness of a particular rain--it seems to me an orthographorical spelling of "rain."
I also have a comment about yesterday's poem to respond to "what is 'd' 'o' 'a' and 'r' and what is the purpose of the word or hanging up in the air?" Ergo, here's the poem again:
Confession: when I posted the poem, it crossed my mind that I ought to explain the quotient--the d, o, a, r. But, although I remembered having a solid enough rationale for it, I couldn't remember it. In other words, the mess didn't make much sense to me. Challenged by the (anonymous) question above, though, I remembered back to why it was as it was. First of all, it says "door." I knew that even yesterday. I also also then remembered "ardor," but didn't think that was worth adding the A to get. Today, I remembered "oar," though, which I do think, in this context, worth adding the A to get--with the accompaniment of "ardor" . . . and "arro" and "A" as a symbol of beginning. "Road" is there, as well. On top of all that, I arranged the letters of the word--"doorAr," I guess I'd call its spelling--the way I did because they looked appropriately jutting, to me; because I like they way they look; and because they give readers a puzzle to have fun figuring out, and to have their read slowed by. Oh, and "or" is a magic word for me, something suggesting more, "we're not through," incompleteness. . . . I can't say I'm sure it works here. In fact, on the spur of the moment, I've taken it out:
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