1 of 12: Roots, Tree Trunk, Branches, Leaves: How Could a Tree Be Hard to Describe?

There is a problem describing trees according to Robert Hass' poem, The Problem of Describing Trees. In the poem, his argument is that we can only say so much about the tree in written language. Furthermore, Hass is also saying that poetry sometimes cannot describe the tree either. As writers, we can try to follow the poet, but words can only describe a certain extent of emotions or feelings.

Dance with me, dancer. Oh, I will is a compelling line to analyze in Robert Hass' poem. As a reader, we may wonder who is speaking this and who it is addressed to. I believe we are speaking to the tree without even realizing it. Could this possibly be the case? Well, before the italicized line the poem says "It is good sometimes for poetry to disenchant us." Therefore, since we realize that we often have difficulty describing things such as a tree, we are talking to the tree directly; we are asking the tree to help us better describe it by telling the tree to dance with us. One of the lines in the poem even says "And the tree danced," which would further prove my point that we are speaking to the tree. This may sound a little asinine, but if you think about it, doesn't it make sense?

Reflection on Briana’s Four-Letter Word: Hope

http://inventingbrianag.blogspot.com/2011/11/4-letter-word-project.html

A montage is a representation of speech and according to Gunther Kress, “Whatever is represented in speech (or to some lesser extent in writing) inevitably has to bow to the logic of time and sequence in time” (Kress 2). Therefore, even a visual production follows a sequential order of where the images are placed. However, a producer may also direct our attention to only focus on a more specific section of his or her argument ostensibly by zooming in or out from a picture: “The organization of the image is governed by the logic of space, and by the logic of simultaneity of its visual/depicted elements in spatially organized arrangements" (Kress 2).    

Briana made a video montage that only used the word hope to portray an argument. The song, “Beauty from Pain,” that she uses in the production has a melancholy tone just like the pictures in the montage that show children in poverty and a desperate dancer jumping for a savior. However, she is able to show that through dancing we can help poor children; we can give them hope. Since art allows one to express him or herself creatively and persuasively, this video production adequately illustrates that images can make an understandable argument.

            A production has truth value, as J. Anthony Blair signifies, if that an expression can be affirmed or rejected (Blair 25). Therefore, since the pictures of the starving children and of the dancer can be perceived in different ways, Briana’s four-letter word project on hope has truth value.      

            While there may be many interpretations of an expression, the argument that an artist tries to convey is truth value. In The Possibility and Actuality of Visual Arguments, the author J. Anthony Blair maintains: “The artist in each case [of each painting] intended to send a message and evoke a reaction” (Blair 28). Thus, Blair shows the reader how truth value is the intention that the artist who made the painting is trying to illustrate. Furthermore, Blair shows how an expression has truth value if the argument can be accepted or rejected: “In order to reconstruct any of these paintings [expression] as an argument, it is necessary not only to give propositional expression to it but also to identify and distinguish premises from conclusions…There is no way to have confidence in any one conclusion that the painter wanted his viewers to draw” (Blair 28). Since we cannot fully know the author’s intention (Briana for this example), many inferences are drawn from our observations, some which will, therefore, be rejected.

Consequently, by showing that an argument can be affirmed or rejected (many conclusions can be drawn from a painting), Blair is able to explain that truth value is an artist’s value behind his or her artwork. Similarly, in Briana’s montage, truth value is evident because the viewer can have different interpretations of the pictures that are displayed to the audience. While we will never fully know her true intentions, we may argue that the montage is trying to show a hope for success or even the possibility that dance can improve the conditions of poor countries. This argument can be affirmed when analyzing that the montage portrays smiles on the children’s faces at the end of the visual production. The production may have been advanced if some of the pictures were taken out of the montage because while they may show poverty, they do not directly enhance the argument: the first four pictures of houses and property for instance do not prove the argument that dancing gives us hope to surpass adversity.         

            So how is communication (visual production) effective without words? Many pictures have different meanings in context, just like many words can have different meanings in context. However, using Briana’s production as an example, when we see young children carrying wood in old or ripped clothing, we can infer that these children are poor. This picture in combination with a dancer leaping who has her arms spread out, then shows us that we need to strive for this goal. Following these images are pictures of children learning to dance and eventually smiles on these children’s faces. In conclusion, this sequence of pictures shows us that we can help give hope to children who need it.  

            The visual production is predictable because while we observe the negativity of poverty, we see the word hope. Shortly after this we see children smiling, thus showing us the desire for a positive future, the word hope appears in front of us. At last, the picture of a dancer jumping in the air with her arms spread out allows us to predict that the production will show a search for help; when someone spreads his or her arms out and leaps into the air with an upset facial expression, they are looking, or desperate, for help. Hence, we can predict that Briana is going to show how we can strive or help poor children.   

             Briana’s visual production was successful, although everyone in the class did not completely understand her argument. This does not mean that images cannot do what writing can—images can successfully form an argument. However, there are only three seconds to view each image and connect it with the next or previous images. The whole production is also shorter than it would normally take to read an essay and a montage is a form of hypermediacy compared to a written essay, or transparent media (Bolter 26). It is easier for us to view an essay and go back to the sentences or paragraphs that confused us, and we can even write on the paper to help us understand the argument. With hypermediacy, we cannot as easily go back to the visual that confused us, but it can be done. We cannot write on hypermediacy though—unless we post a comment. Needless to say, visual productions can portray an argument if the audience and the producer share common knowledge like in Briana’s production.

Works Cited

Blair, J. Anthony, and Christopher W Tindale. Groundwork In The Theory Of

Argumentation, Selected Papers Of J. Anthony Blair. Springer Verlag, 2012. Print.

Bolter, J. David. "Chapter 2: Writing as Technology." Writing Space: Computers,

Hypertext, and the Remediation of Print. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2001. 26. Print.

Kress, Gunther R. Literacy In The New Media Age. Psychology Press, 2003. Print.

4 Letter Word Project. Prod. Briana Giordano. Inventing Briana G. Blogspot.com. Web.

22 Nov. 2011. <http://inventingbrianag.blogspot.com/2011/11/4-letter-word-project.html>.

Four letter word

My four-letter word is "lure". I find this fascinating because this word can have a positive or negative connotation. However, I am arguing that it is important to lure people in if you want them to help you with a job.

Can Images do what words do? Are visual Arguments possible?

Visual arguments are definitely possible to persuade one's point. Why? Well, could we say that images have meanings? Then could we say that the meanings from the images may be combined to show an argument? Therefore, can we simply say that visual arguments exist? 

I believe that images can be very persuasive, but not as persuasive as words. In an essay, words have universal meanings--we can look in a dictionary as well to define a word. However, not all pictures or images are perceived the same way by everyone. Consequently, when we do not know what an image is intending to mean, where can we look to find that answer? 

It is certainly practical to say that visual arguments exist. Albeit, most often, words provide a more concrete and clear argument.   

Prezi: The New Writing Technology

The group argued that technology is adjusting our writing spaces.

First Thoughts on Project Three

I keep thinking about my project three, and I'm pretty sure my next (rhetorical) move will be to include more metaphors and expand/solidify my metaphor relating my place to a hospital. I also need to make sure that my argument is clear throughout my whole essay.