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Automated Scansion
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Automated Scansion |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738
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 How about a preview option that automatically scans our poetry for us? *cracking myself up today!* |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Heavens! I could write like a pro!! |
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Essorant Member Elite
since 2002-08-10
Posts 4769Regina, Saskatchewan; Canada |
Scandroid  |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
whoa... Ess? I'm having probs getting this--so before I annoy my son any further, do you think it's helpful? (My comp is kind of a dinosaur--um, I didn't think there would be anything I wanted to download )I respect your opinion though. Do you think this would be helpful for me? And um, your "sarcasm" smilie...was that more like um, nonchalance, or has this been something I've overlooked for ...um, ever?  Let me know, because if you think it's a good investment for me, I'll put my first born tech support "on it".  And thanks, too. |
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Marge Tindal 
since 1999-11-06
Posts 42384Florida's Foreverly Shores |
I'm downloading it to give it a test run ... not cause I really care  but because Karen does~Thanks, Ess~ *Huglets*  ~*Me ~*The sound of a kiss is not as strong as that of a cannon, but it's echo endures much longer*~ |
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Essorant Member Elite
since 2002-08-10
Posts 4769Regina, Saskatchewan; Canada |
It may be helpful. It seems fairly accurate. For example, here is the scan it gives for Shakespeare's iambic line: "Shall I compare thee to a Summer's day?.
SYLLABLES words in the dictionary: /shall//i//com/pare//thee//to//a/ read other words as: /summ/er's/ /day/ PRELIMINARY MARKS (CAPS = stressed) dict. word stresses: / shall / i / com PARE / thee / to / a / calc. word stresses: / SUMM er's / DAY / any ambiguous stresses will be resolved in the next step CHOOSE ALGORITHM the Scandroid knows two approaches to dividing the line into feet; it has tried both, and chosen Algorithm 2 (Maximize the Normal) (you can force the choice; see the Scan menu) the program also decided one or more ambiguous stresses and adjusted the lexical stresses accordingly LONGEST NORMAL Longest run of iambs (x/) and potential iambs (xx) from syllable 1 for 10 syllables 0 syllables left over before that and 0 syllables after accounted for 5 of 5 feet CLEAN UP ENDS nothing to clean up at the end PROMOTIONS ('%' used here rather than usual '(/)') probable promoted stress on this syllable: 6 ANALYSIS The Scandroid found these feet (ones in parentheses resulting from promotions): iamb | iamb | (iamb) | iamb | iamb | one substitute foot -- a crude measure of complexity |
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Essorant Member Elite
since 2002-08-10
Posts 4769Regina, Saskatchewan; Canada |
Are you familiar with the term "promoted" when talking about meter? That just refers to a syllable that is normally unstressed, when it is specially "promoted" or treated as if it is stressed in the meter. In "Shall I compare thee to a Summer's day" the sixth syllable is the normally unstressed word "to", but it is called "promoted" here because it is being made to get by as a "stress" where a stress is expected in the meter. A pronoun such as "I" usually doesn't have the stress either. But in "Shall I..." we may think of it has having some special emphasis, which in a sense "promotes" it too. I tried to summarize promotion a bit in the "Poetry Contest" thread, but I didn't bother using the term "promotion". |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
I am familiar with the term. I just forgot that I was, if that makes any sense. I was an English Education major at UNO but then they put a bar in the middle of the campus. That's right, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CAMPUS. *shrug* I was shortly demoted to business school--but are you pointing out the "promotion" term as a possible shortcoming of the program? If you are, I am interested--keep 'em coming. If you aren't? I'm interested anyway. (and hey? I'll get it (the scandroid thingie) as soon as I can, I have to wait my turn in the queue.) sigh |
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Essorant Member Elite
since 2002-08-10
Posts 4769Regina, Saskatchewan; Canada |
No, it is good enough. But it seems in most places most people usually don't know what "promotion" and "demotion" mean in respect to poetry, so there is not much point in using the words as if they do. I think it is more helpful just to speak directly in terms of stress and unstress and what they are doing, instead of trying to say something about those thro the means of special terms such as "promotion" and "demotion". |
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Essorant Member Elite
since 2002-08-10
Posts 4769Regina, Saskatchewan; Canada |
Make sure to maximize the window if you are trying this program. I just noticed that the scans show up incorrectly if you leave the program-window the way it is and try to scan longer lines of poetry! |
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