tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post7489549368612498728..comments2024-03-14T10:31:26.918+00:00Comments on DCblog: On being artistic about language deathDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10192779827863835310noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-47496073668981312942007-01-10T09:23:00.000+00:002007-01-10T09:23:00.000+00:00Take a look at the paper I mentioned, which gives ...Take a look at the paper I mentioned, which gives a full account of the kind of arts involved. I intend the broadest possible definition. The point I'm making is that artists, of whatever kind, have largely neglected the subject, presumably because they don't know about it, and yet it is full of potential for artistic expression. And most linguists, who do know about the subject, have ignored the artistic medium. I did precisely what you suggest in the 1990s, writing the play 'Living On', but the issue would benefit greatly from having professional playwrights take it up. Or any artists. I've been hammering away at this plea for several years now, but not so far with much to report by way of results.<br /><br />Incidentally, the play is available for production by anyone who cares to put it on (e-copy from me). Any profit made from such a production should go to The Foundation for Endangered Languages.<br /><br />Here's one poem from my small collection. It's in W S Merwin's book 'The Rain in the Trees', and it's called 'Losing a language':<br /><br />A breath leaves the sentences and does not come back<br />yet the old still remember something that they could say<br /><br />but they know now that such things are no longer believed<br />and the young have fewer words<br /><br />many of the things the words were about<br />no longer exist<br /><br />the noun for standing in mist by a haunted tree<br />the verb for I<br /><br />the children will not repeat<br />the phrases their parents speak<br /><br />somebody has persuaded them<br />that it is better to say everything differently<br /><br />so that they can be admired somewhere<br />farther and farther away<br /><br />where nothing that is here is known<br />we have little to say to each other<br /><br />we are wrong and dark<br />in the eyes of the new owneres<br /><br />the radio is incomprehensible<br />the day is glass<br /><br />when there is a voice at the door it is foreign<br />everywhere insread of a name there is a lie<br /><br />nobody has seen it happening<br />nobody remembers<br /><br />this is what the words were made<br />to prophesy<br /><br />here are the extinct feathers<br />here is the rain we sawDChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10192779827863835310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-40330153492699472462007-01-09T09:50:00.000+00:002007-01-09T09:50:00.000+00:00In furtherance to my previous comment, perhaps you...In furtherance to my previous comment, perhaps you could lead the way in this. In all seriousness, you are somewhat of an authority on the subject and could probably do some decent justification to the subject. Blog us a language death poem, please.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-52881253160392627352007-01-09T09:47:00.000+00:002007-01-09T09:47:00.000+00:00Language Death represented by artists? In terms of...Language Death represented by artists? In terms of literature I can see a great deal of potential and perhaps in music as well. I'm sure one could knock up a decent drama on the subject if one were so inclined. Precisely what do you mean when you refer to art and the arts?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com