"I begin, a sentence lover. I'm forever delighted, then, delighted all over, at the things sentences can trip and trick you into saying. I'm astonished -- just plain tickled! -- at the sharp turns and tiny tremors they can whip your thoughts across. I'm entranced at their lollop and flow, their prickles and points."
-- Samuel Delany
1) It was a simple, beautiful, traditional song- I'd heard it fifteen or twenty times on various hunts ("Ihave come to carol my search for guarry of the mind, only to encounter in the mind of another...."); I was both moved and dissapointed. There re flambouyant songs, sung wiwth seven or more toungues at once, full of buzzings, clickings, and poppings, highly rhythmic, where one tongue acctually slaps and vibrtes aginst other tongues-songs designed almost exclusively to impress and excite humans, true.
2) In this passage I think Delany Is talking more bout language rather than "songs". I think he is suggesting that language may be created with motive- the motive and intention of impressing a certin audience, for example. Also, I think Delany is exemplifying this very element within this sentance itsself, the use of descriptive words/ language, as well as employment of multiple various types of punctuation/ grammar constructs a sentnce which is somewhat of a n art form in itsself- perhaps like a song?
1 comment:
ah, yes, this passage speaks as much to the plot of the novel as it does to the vagaries of language as delany understands them. great post, melany! --lysa
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