Hello poets and friends. One of the fun thing about going back to school a little is to learn some theory behind writing. One of the concept we have gone through is the concept of defamiliarization (and this is not about divorce) It was defined by literature critic Viktor Schklovski (1893-1984) in 1917 in an essay called “Art as technique”, and has had tremendous influence on 20th century literature. It had been used a long time before, but pointing it out we can actually start to use it consciously.
Schklovski starts out by reasoning that many things we do and see we only register subconsciously, and to some extent they do not even exist if they are never noticed. We as poets train a lot on seeing and observing, and then we use our poetic language to convey the same feeling as if we saw this familiar things for the first time. Or as even Coleridge said:
“To carry on the feelings of childhood into the powers of manhood; to combine the child’s sense of wonder and novelty with the appearances which every day for perhaps forty years had rendered familiar [. . .] this is the character and privilege of genius.”
Shklovski goes as far as saying that without defamiliarization there is no art! no poetry, he also says that poetry has to be difficult to read.
In his essay Shklovski exemplifies from the work of Tolstoy three techniques that can give this effect:
- To describe an object without naming it. Thereby forcing the reader to live through the same observations that you do the first day.
- To describe the situation from the perspective of someone else. Such as Tolstoy used a horse named Kholstomer in his book with the same name.
- Tell it in a dialect or foreign language making it unfamiliar. Some of our fascination with old poetry lies in the archaic language that makes familiar object seem unfamiliar. But the same works by mixing it with dialects or foreign language.
I know that many of our prompts here are actually example of using this technique (for example Dead Man’s poetry, or Marina’s poetics from this Tuesday), but today I would like you to think carefully and describe a familiar object or situation using techniques so we as reader are forced to see them in a new way, And remember it does not matter if it is cryptic or hard to understand. You are the magicians to make us — the readers — react. After all already Aristoteles said: “poetic language must appear strange and wonderful”.
Examples of defamiliarization can be found both before the term was coined and afterwards. Today I will not give any example at all, but urge you to present the familiar in a new way so it feels new, and many of the techniques used in the past have become part of what’s familiar.
As an example from architecture think about your poem as Gaudi think about a cathedral when starting the process of creating Sagrada Familia. It is a cathedral, yet it is something entirely new, that let us see a church in a new way.
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claudia said:
“poetic language must appear strange and wonderful”… oh i like that… and i love the sagrada familia… really took my breath away when visiting about 2 years ago…
and really love the prompt as well björn… i think this is what poets should do – make the reader see the world in a new light, a different way… shining a spotlight on things that we tend to overlook in the everyday…
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
I think you do that a lot Claudia.. I think it was nice to put a name to it.. and see if we can train ourselves (or even find new techniques) to do exactly this.
claudia said:
….and oh… what really spoke to me as well was the getting the subconscious into the conscious… so often so many things indeed go unnoticed.. and poetry makes them visible… i love that…
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
It’s a very interesting essay.. and it was more an essay to forth techniques that has been used before.. but we can never imitate an old technique.. we have to find new ways as soon as something gets familiar.
claudia said:
and happy thursday everyone… seems like i’m alone in the pub… smiles
i will sit at the piano in the corner then and play a bit… smiles
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
I’m at a concert just ending — happy thursday 😉
claudia said:
oh nice… what kind of concert did you visit…?
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
Very contemporary all by the same composer (who also was present) his name is Anders Hillborg
http://vivinfrance.wordpress.com said:
Nice. And I will listen.
billgncs said:
cryptic and hard to understand seems the opposite of communication, but then I like limericks.
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
Yes thats really one of the points.. Though i do not fully agree 😉
billgncs said:
To see something new, is honest and without bias, that seems pure.
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
Hello everyone – a little late joining — I will get by later.. Now on my way home.. Hope you all have fun with this.
claudia said:
it’s not that late over here but didn’t sleep well last night and just so tired that the letters already start swimming like little fish… will catch up early tomorrow morning… see you then…
Gabriella said:
Good night, Claudia!
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
Goodnight – familiarize yourself with the pillow.
Mary said:
Just returned home, Claudia and Bjorn! Nice prompt, Bjorn. It is always nice to try different things at MTB.
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
Exactly. no time to get too familiar with we are used to do.. 🙂
Gabriella said:
Greetings, poets. I enjoyed the challenge, Björn. I was not sure how to tackle it at first. Hope the concert was good.
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
Very modern music.. just the right kind to stray from the familiar to see new things you where not aware of.
peach blossom moth said:
This sounds like my kind of thing.
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
I look forward to your offering.
peach blossom moth said:
Well I’m not any good at it—writing poems, that is—but I do enjoy it. And I’m no stranger to writing things that don’t make much sense.
katiemiafrederick said:
Well.. strange is something i revel in so .. not much of a problem here i think.. and i’ve been a little under the weather or a lot depending on which day it was with a cold this week so my creative light is a little muted and perhaps thats’ a good thing.. smiles… as the words come in at 130 and only 23 photos to illustrate them..:)
I used the abstract rather than the concrete .. but again.. ‘Defamiliarization’ is often the path i take in words…as well as real life too.. abstractly as such…smiles….:)
Going to be away from the E-world a little while but be back to read and comment soon, as this seems like a very interesting prompt. 🙂
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
I think many of us thrive in the strange.. 🙂
katiemiafrederick said:
yes.. truly that is why i like it here…;)night night.. and have a good night….;)asleep….
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
Time is starting to get late here.. I will go to bed and come back tomorrow 🙂
hypercryptical said:
Thank you Björn for stimulating my creative juices – juices that had dried up weeks ago. Not quite sure if my response to your prompt is spot on – thinking of telling a story from the point of view of others…may be or may not be right. Nevertheless – my mind has woken up!
Kind regards
Anna :o[
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
I’m glad you came by. This prompt was one I was unsure of, but it really is one that made me think when I read about it the first time.
Anna Chamberlain said:
Great post! I wrote mine based on another poem but from an alternative viewpoint.
claudia said:
hey…. good to see you anna…. how’s life…?
Anna Chamberlain said:
Good to visit! My semester is winding down which means a lot more work before a coveted 3 weeks off :)! How are you?
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
Great to see you Anna, and so glad my post could inspire you.
MarinaSofia said:
I did a bit of an odd combination with my Friday Fun postings of inspiring artists’ studios… and was wondering how long it would be before even the most beautiful surroundings become mundane and ‘invisible’. So a bit of a naughty take on your prompt!
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
Easily it could become a commodity .. I think a babbling brook will never be the same for instance.. we as poets has to constantly invent.
Gay Reiser Cannon said:
I think mine isn’t quite up to the prompt. I took the idea of approaching the poem as a child without commentary but somehow missed the ambiguity, the clever words, and probably the strange that you might be looking for. It’s always a surprise to me what emerges from a prompt. Looking forward to being able to read others.
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
I’m sure you met the bar and beyond.. I’m heading there to read. It sounds like a great approach.. much in the way of Coleridge.
mishunderstood said:
I have been waiting for the right time to use some of the native american language I have acquired over the years working on a reservation. This prompt was the perfect opportunity.
Thanks Bjorn, for making me reach for the “ahnung”. (stars) 🙂
Susan said:
Did I? I made it. In time. Plenty of time. But did I de-familiarize and paint? I’ll be around over the next few days.
greenspeckblogger said:
I guess am late. Is there any way that my link can be added now? 😦
http://livinglifegreenspeck.blogspot.in/2014/11/a-ball-of-fur.html