Take one example where words are used, a not very common one these
days: poetry. We can use words in poetry which perhaps makes these
things most obvious to us, but imagine if a poem consisted of these
things only and none of the lexical utterances and their locutions.
Wouldn't that be more difficult yet more fulfilling?

I'd agree with the 'more difficult'.... More fulfilling?
Write a sentence using only vowels. Same level of
constraint?
  Use the tools at our disposal to the best effect.

regards

--
Dave Pawson
XSLT XSL-FO FAQ.
Docbook FAQ.
http://www.dpawson.co.uk

On 5 Apr 2010, at 08:26, Dave Pawson wrote:

> On 4 April 2010 19:59, Sean B. Palmer <s...@miscoranda.com> wrote:
>> When you use a word, you use the origins, travel, ownership,
>> discriminations, and comportment of that word; those are the grounds
>> whereon the word is built. But imagine if you could craft an origin, a
>> journey, an owning, the distinguishing marks, and a physiognomy
>> without then coming up with a correspondant lexical expression.
>>
>> Take one example where words are used, a not very common one these
>> days: poetry. We can use words in poetry which perhaps makes these
>> things most obvious to us, but imagine if a poem consisted of these
>> things only and none of the lexical utterances and their locutions.
>> Wouldn't that be more difficult yet more fulfilling?

Sounds like a faerietail for words.

Not sure I can imagine what such a thing would look like though.

For some reason, it reminds me of that Tolkien quote I found yesterday:

"I am doubtful myself about the undertaking [of finishing The Silmarillion]. Part of the attraction of the L.R. [The Lord of the Rings] is, I think, due to the glimpses of a large history in the background: an attraction like that of viewing far off an unvisited island, or seeing the towers of a distant city gleaming in a sunlit mist. To go there is to destroy the magic, unless new unattainable vistas are again revealed."

> I'd agree with the 'more difficult'.... More fulfilling?
> Write a sentence using only vowels. Same level of
> constraint?

Not as silly as it might sound...

http://diveintomark.org/archives/2008/02/05/writing-with-ease

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipogram

>   Use the tools at our disposal to the best effect.

Sure, but then that depends on what the intention is.

Constrained writing might be a bad idea if you're trying to do a grocery list. Hehe.

On 5 April 2010 10:19, Noah Slater <nsl...@me.com> wrote:
>
> On 5 Apr 2010, at 08:26, Dave Pawson wrote:

>> I'd agree with the 'more difficult'.... More fulfilling?
>> Write a sentence using only vowels. Same level of
>> constraint?
>
> Not as silly as it might sound...
>
> http://diveintomark.org/archives/2008/02/05/writing-with-ease
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipogram

OK, I should have guessed <grins/>

lipogram. Nice word.

regards

--
Dave Pawson
XSLT XSL-FO FAQ.
Docbook FAQ.
http://www.dpawson.co.uk