Reading Rainbow

Reading Rainbow….That is what I have been riding on since I got to Japan. I have a nasty habit of just forgetting about books I have read, due to never discussing them with anyone. I figure why not write about some of them.

Today will be Pound’s ABC of Reading.

Don’t know about Pound click here for a quick run down.

When I was in university I had a thing for enlightening writers who didn’t give a care about what other people think.  They kinda of reminded me of hip hop artists. The masses (including creators and non-creators) stay criticizing these two groups of people, while at the same time consuming their work and celebrating them.  I personally cannot understand how someone who has never written a book, created a song, painted a portrait can have such harsh criticism as that a book is trash, a song is garbage or that a painting is horrible.  If you ever sat down and tried to do any of those things you’d acquire a new found respect for those that do, even if those artists were not considered the top dog in their respected industry.  I just think if you didn’t like that book then it just wasn’t for you…It may not be as terrible as you think…I mean how good are you at creating the thing you are criticizing?

This is why I really enjoy reading Pound’s ABC of Reading. Pound gives a breakdown the strategies of studying literature. And also kinda says if you don’t create anything at a high level sit your ass down and keep out of grown artists’ business.

The book is written simply enough but there are a ton of terminology that still give me trouble to this day.  One of my favourite parts is in the first half, when Pound is explaining the three ways to write great literature:

  1. phanopoeia – throwing the object (fixed or moving) on to the visual imagination.
  2. melopoeia – inducing emotional correlations by sound and rhythm of the speech.
  3. logopoeia – inducing 1 & 2 by stimulating associations with other word/word group

I still find myself trying to look for examples of phonopoeia.

I mean I wouldn’t suggest reading this unless you want a reason to flick your nose high and look down at people haha. Or if you just don’t have an interest in studying literature.

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