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Sensory Analysis Report

Page history last edited by Kiersten Meehan 10 years, 3 months ago

Kiersten Meehan's 149 Final Report.docx

 

 

Sensory Analysis Final Report

 

 

By Kiersten Meehan , Team Sensory Analysis 

            

     Sensory Analysis, initially inspired by the detached nature of the analytical databases provided on the PBworks course site, was aimed in designing a prototypical database that would function in a similarly 'distant' fashion. These automatized sites take a systematic approach in analyzing works, graphing or perhaps diagramming its external qualities. The preciseness of such methodical analyzation largely contrasts traditional forms of literary evaluation, which often rely on ambiguity. However, their devote attention and strict adherence to the text itself is what Sensory Analysis found most compelling. This is because analytical studies too often get caught up in allusive nature of literature. In search of deeper meanings and seemingly unsatisfied with the text itself, readers tend to disregard what is on the page and overly fixate on what is not. The text then becomes used as a window or lens accommodating depth and alternate interpretations. In response, Sensory Analysis chose to further study this tendency and determine whether mediums other than written text would have the same effect. Sensory Analysis, adopting the more systematized approach, concisely replicated works by exclusively using concrete textual elements, such as format, punctuation and subject as their resources. Furthermore, only the literal translations of the texts were considered. Abstruse or complex literary additives that are often not physically present on the page, such as metaphorical references, implied similes or potential alliterations were thus not included in their research. Ideally, the alternate representation, though shaped by a different medium, would accurately reflect the words on the page. So other indefinite or abstract qualities, which tend to be open to interpretation, would only hinder them from acquiring their desired results. In order to gain perspective on how mediums influence interpretation, the team's analytical groundwork was based on outside participation. Deliberate steps, all of which were pertinent to their ultimate goal, were taken and then for organizational purposes were documented on various Wordpress sites. All relative links, however, are easily accessible on their course website as well.

 

            After much debate, the team agreed upon using photography as their specific medium of representation. They essentially planned to deconstruct individual works, take each of their textual components' literal meaning and then correlate these translations with matching images. These images would then be assembled in accordance to the original format of the text. This would assumedly result with a collage-like final product. Also, to avoid copyright infringement, the group limited their resources, only using photographs that they took themselves. By way of Adobe Photoshop, they edited each image and appropriately arranged them to sufficiently reflect the work as a whole. This would have certainly been more strenuous if it not had been for Adobe's extensive toolbox and project-friendly nature. By effortlessly meeting their project's unique needs, Adobe Photoshop allowed for more of their time and energy to be spent toward research and formulating results, rather than on this initial step.   

 

            Due to the constraints of time, however, Sensory Analysis settled on centralizing their research by choosing a smaller focal point as opposed to examining a broader scope of literary works. This strategy would presumably induce the most thorough and concise results that time could allow. Therefore, their project only concerns three works, all of which are derived from a singular genre. Poetry appeared to be the most fitting genre for various reasons. It was in part due to this genre's specific attributes, such as short verses as well as frequent use of imagery. More importantly, this genre was uniquely relative to the project's initial influence as well. The group noticed that poetry is generally associated with complex interpretations and is often heavily garnished with allusive expression. Poetry is thus a prime example of literature that is treated as a transparent medium and used to yield deeper interpretation. After recognizing this, the group selected this genre, believing that these appropriate qualities would facilitate the most accurate results. To incorporate a sense of variety, the group chose literary samples that distinctly differed format-wise (length/punctuation), which would then produce three disparate visual representations.  The poems that were chosen were: The Road Not TakenFog, and Portrait of a Lady, which were all published in the early 20th century. The generous lapse of time since then has allowed for each work to have been thoroughly studied and become relatively well known. Such exhaustive analysis crystalized a general interpretations per each, which seemingly inhibits any further study. Sensory Analysis, however, found these circumstances to be quite opportune rather than debilitating. In terms of their goals, it would be valuable to know whether these widely accepted interpretations would change when using a different medium.   

     

     After creating the three visual representations, the group members designed a survey, which was comprised of three short questions. A typical participant would first be provided with a visual representation and then asked to fill out the survey. This was repeated until the individual had seen and responded to all three. Then, not necessarily in corresponding order, the participant would individually read each poem, filling out the same survey per each. Each participant would thus fill out six identical surveys. The questions asked were:1. What are the theme(s) portrayed in this work? 2. What is the most prominent tone conveyed in this work? 3. On a scale of 1-10, how well did this particular medium convey these literary elements and why?. The concepts of theme and tone were intentionally chosen due to their complexity. Theme and tone are literary elements that are not blatantly found on the page but are somewhat abstract and perceivable only after exploring a poem's metaphorical grounds. If the responses to these first two questions consistently differed then mediums of representation would prove to have some impact on interpretation. The third question, however, was only intended to aid the group in assessing the conclusiveness of their results. It was primarily for the team's overall benefit and understanding, thus not heavily referenced in the results.   

 

     Since each response varied in context and wording, the group felt they needed to further modify the feedback in order to add clarity to their comparative outcome. Each response to questions 1 and 2 were then compiled and entered into a world cloud database. World clouds are used to calculate the word frequencies in any given block of text. The device then generates a cloud of words that range in size. The size of the word directly corresponds with amount, compared to the other words, it appears in the text. World clouds omit words like articles and conjunctions that have little to no analytical bearing, thus only featuring keywords this group would find relevant. This mode of documentation was deliberately chosen because of its simplicity and clarity. These clouds exaggerate the similarities and differences in the data and reduces them to a singular word, simplifying the overall comparative process. It is also important to note that Sensory Analysis was initially molded after databases such as these and actually function quite similarly. Both take systematic approaches in reassembling words or phrases without altering their original meaning. World clouds similarly incorporate visual (differing sizes) and textual (the words themselves) aspects as well, so they are both visually stimulating tools.

 

     Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken is possibly the most well known of the three poems. Not surprisingly, its fame and years of meticulous examination led to a grounded interpretation shared by many. It is popularly associated with themes such as contemplation, self reflection, and isolation combined with a relatively somber tone. As previously touched upon, this traditional interpretation is very relevant as its soundness is essentially tested by this project's use of an alternate medium. Adhering to the text's original format, the team designed a slide show, which consecutively exhibited the images in a specific order. They felt that a slide show, compared to a still image, would best grasp the poem's conceptual flow and narrative qualities. Each photograph captures the fundamental elements of Frost's plot. They were later edited to accurately reflect each phrase. For example, contrasting filters were applied to one specific image to emphasize that there are two paths diverging, which was not immensely evident in the original photo. The group also emphasized the differing properties of the two paths to display the narrator's fixation on that. Lastly, they placed an image of isolated 'traveler' at the end of the slideshow to appropriately represent the reflective account found in the final stanza. 

     

     The data gathered from this poem for held few similarities. Regarding theme, both mediums apparently captured a sense of seclusion and the concept of adventure. These commonalities, however, did not come as a surprise as these themes are merely in reference to the most basic elements of the plot, which were blatantly apparent in both. The more complex thematical elements, on the other hand, such as contemplation, were only perceived through the text. The responses regarding tone were a little more varied, bearing very little correlation at all. The visual medium's tone included words, such as 'wandering' and 'seclusion'. These concepts, however, don't really solidify a definitive tone and leave room for interpretation. The tonal characteristics associated with the text were more powerful, conclusive and overall less ambiguous.

 

     Carl Sandburg's Fog is notably short in length, as it is made up of just two sentences. Its distinct brevity parallels the shortness of the moment in time depicted. The simplicity and menial nature of its topic is significant as well. These two qualities, short and dull, would almost certainly compel readers to look for alternate meanings, disregarding what is actually said. This poem's corresponding visual representation is quite profound as it drastically forces the reader to reconsider what they had initially ignored. This is because the two images edited to directly mirror the poems two phrases are in fact not ordinary at all, but instead absurd and quite eye-catching.   

 

     The results gathered for this poem were unfortunately not very impressive or thought provoking. The words attributed to both mediums' themes were relatively the same. They both featured peaceful elements and while simultaneously conveying a sense of mystery. The one prominent difference was that the text was capable in capturing a sense of nostalgia. This is relevant because nostalgia is a considerably abstract concept. Regarding tone, both mediums had many descriptive words in common, such as somber or dark. This did not lead the team to any profound deductions worth noting.  

 

      William Carlos Williams' Portrait of a Lady is arguably the most complex of the three, format-wise. This subsequently played a large role in its visual representation. The concepts in the text are presented in an unorganized fashion with sporadic use of punctuation. The team tried to mirror this unique format, by incorporating a large number of images scattered within a collage. The unanswered questions also largely influenced certain aspects of the visual representation. For instance, the staggering photos of different skies, located that the top of the collage, are in reference to the narrator incessantly asking, "Which sky?". The text never resolves this question and thus the multiple skies remain, rather than displaying one definitive sky. This idea is similarly addressed at the bottom half of the collage, where two different pictures of beaches have been blended together with an photo of petals. This mesh of images alluded to more of the narrator's unanswered questions toward the end of the poem. The narrator could not decide whether something was a shore or perhaps petals. Therefore, the team blended those elements in attempts to embody what the narrator was referencing.  The female silhouette was the collages only true element of certitude. The body parts that the narrator had actually manage to decisively define (by way of references to nature), are accordingly represented within the silhouette. In incorporating this feature, the team realized the narrator never described the female's face, which is quite pertinent to one's identity. So although the silhouette displays what is conveyed as certain, it also provides a element of mystery.

 

      Both of the mediums shared many themes but how they differed interested the group more.  Words such as "free" were associated with the images while words like "frustration" were provided in response to the text. Though dramatically different in meaning, both words are seemingly in reference to the same aspect of the poem - the narrator's inability to define elements of a certain woman. This distinct difference truly shows how different mediums can lead to drastically inconsistent interpretations. The results involving tone, however, mimicked the patterns found in the other poem's results. The image only yielded superficial concepts such beauty or sexuality while the text was capable of conveying deeper concepts, such as love. 

If time constraints and limited participation weren't of issue, the team would have liked to broaden the overall scope of the project. This would entail incorporating a larger collection of poems and  visual models. They would even consider perhaps expanding into other genres as well. These enhancements would allow the project's analytical element have more of "blind" effect. The group assumes that a larger number of poems would make its corresponding visual representation less obvious. The blinder the study is, the less likely any bias would alter or influence the survey responses. Ideally, the group would also have a large diverse group to sample, thus leading to more universal understanding of interpretation. Another possible route of further study would involve incorporating other senses as mediums, rather than just vision. Auditory sense could be approached by way of tones or by way of voice - different voices (male, female, various accents) could be recording reading the poem and the audience’s reaction to each voice would be analyzed in a similar fashion.  Incorporating the sense of touch would definitely be approached in a drastically different manner, since it would heavily rely on physicality, but could definitely still be explored nonetheless. Other senses such as smell and taste, however, do not seem as applicable. 

 

     The differing reactions  and patterns in the results led the group to collectively affirm that mediums do have an impact on interpretation, as the different mediums did in fact produce differing interpretive qualities. Some group members even found them so frustratingly different that they had difficulty when constructing the visual representations. This was because the visuals adherence to literary meaning challenged their original interpretations. This adverse reaction is what ultimately affirms the projects success. It was able to take an unorthodox approach and new shed light on these works. 

 

     Though not conclusive, these results also suggest that the medium involving imagery are limited to simpler more transparent interpretations while text harbors space for complexity. Despite their shallow capacity, the images and how they function in relation to the text prove to be quite powerful nonetheless. What they found most ironic about the results was that the medium involving the innate form of interpretation, vision, produced simpler results compared to the medium associated with reading, a complex learnt ability. Perhaps the complexity correlates with the level of cognitive function or perhaps it was a coincidence.  Either way, their results are quite stimulating and worthy of further study. 

 

 

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