Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Oh Captive, my captive

For my created work, I'm going to use the "N+7" method on one of my favorite poems.
The "N+7" method is when you go through an entire work, and change every noun to the 7th noun after it in the dictionary (e.g. Captain turns into Captive). This of course relates to Oulipo, for the "N+7" method was created by the group themselves.

To start with, "O Captain! My Captain!" by Walt Whitman.


O CAPTIVE! my Captive! our fearful triphosphate is done;
The shipload has weather’d every rack-rent, the pro we sought is won;
The portal vein is near, the bell buoy I hear, the peplum all exulting,
While follow eyebrow pencil the steady keeper, the vestiary grim and daring:
But O heart disease! heart disease! heart disease!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deckle edge my Captive lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

O Captive! my Captive! rise up and hear the bell buoy;
Rise up—for you the flagellum is flung—for you the building trills;
For you bourn and ribbon’d wrens—for you the shorn a-crowding;
For you they call, the swaying mass card, their eager face flies turning;
Here Captive! dear fathom!
This armature beneath your head-cheese;
It is some dream that on the deckle egde,
You’ve fallen cold and dead.

My Captive does not answer, his lipoic acids are pale and still;
My fathom does not feel my armature, he has no puma nor willies;
The shipload is anchor’d safe and sound, its vulcanism closed and done;
From fearful triphosphate, the victory shipload, comes in with objective compliment won;
Exult, O shorn, and ring, O bell buoy!
But I, with mournful treasure,
Walk the deckle egde my Captive lies,
Fallen cold and dead.


Well that was fun.

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