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me me me me me me me me me me me

Magdalena
Spartalena
Tyrant of Words
Wales 62awards
Joined 21st Apr 2012
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First person is "I, me, we, us, mine, ours, my" so the use of "I" can be reduced and still read fine, but not omitted completely.
I did write a poem "Scantily clad chapters" without any pronouns, but that can be read as first, second or third person.  If I wanted it to be first person I would have had to use pronouns in a first person context. I I I I I I I I I I I  :P

Nonetheless, just my opinion.

calamitygin
Jennifer Michael McCurry
Tyrant of Words
United States 28awards
Joined 22nd June 2015
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Needed as in we should, desperately.
But you did not understand my intent or the function of speech in modern society. There are scientific communities that see a future with barely any speech. We are becoming the mind speak greys lol.  I am talking dear man, about the function of speach in modern society. Not a spiritual need for speech.
As in..we have internet and gadgets and TV and things that fill up our days and we don't speak or use words the way we used to. People aren't communicating the way we used to. Passing information verbally. We do not speak to each other as much as in the past.
Its sad, but that's a fact jack. And words such as I, the little ones that don't have a necessary function,  have been the kind that disapear first over time from languages over and over thoughout the development of modern speech. Maybe not I, but it would be the type of word if any disappear. Historically speaking.

rabbitquest
Dangerous Mind
Ukraine 2awards
Joined 20th May 2012
Forum Posts: 2051

Calamatiygin has brought up a new point, the invention of the "fact-jack".  As Jack, would have been J if referred to Jills companion, jack in the current sense refers to a lifting device to get under, or beneath an object, to find out hidden meanings, and underlying underpinning motives behind the sickeningly sweet facade of a fact.  Thus the fact-jack. as comonly used in the urban environment:  Honey, sorry I was held up at the office. Yes dear, that explains the long yellow hairs stuck to your shirt, the lipstick on your underwear, and that glazed look in your eyes. Dang, gurl, you just fact-jacked me!.

But back to the point of this thread, I think Professor Lep has a point, I have done it mihself, that is , edit out all the I's, thinking it makes my writing slicker, or more slick. I am seriously going to reflect on what I 'think' makes my writing better, and realize most all of the time, it is just not so.
Thanks man.

brokentitanium
k.
Tyrant of Words
Canada 10awards
Joined 18th Nov 2015
Forum Posts: 1122

As a language junkie, I'm enjoying reading this thread!  (See, I just used I there because I am talking about my own reaction to what I'm reading.)  But I have on occasion left out the I in facebook posts, or emails to friends, or whatever because it kind of goes without saying when your name or picture is attached to what you say, I guess.  But I would never say something that way out loud as it would sound just....weird.

But poetry is different.  I have also left out the I in poetry, mostly just because that's the way it came out - not much thought involved.  But now that you've got me thinking about it.....regardless of the intent (or lack thereof), I do think it has an interesting result - it leaves the subject of the sentence open for interpretation, so the reader can more easily insert themselves into what they're reading.  If I say "I am standing on a windswept beach looking at the reflections of stars..." it has a different effect than "....standing on a windswept beach looking at the reflections of stars...."  I think it invites people into the poem, rather than relegating them to the role of observer.

Hm.  Scratching my head.  Metaphorically speaking, of course.

poet Anonymous

to keep things mysterious?

poet Anonymous

I can think of a certain old school DU minion of which I am no longer acquainted with, that did this on a serial level. To be honest, I've also asked myself why they would do this. My only assumption is that they were trying to take more emphasis out of the self and throw more emphasis to the reader... but then I thought that this person was also an audio poet, so maybe it was purely the way that they talked? I guess a lot of audio poets write how they talk. I know I'm guilty of that a lot.

I guess it's personal preference. It doesn't detract anything from the read in my opinion. Not as much as overuse of the words 'the' or 'of'. I do find myself consciously editing out a tonne of those.


drone
Tyrant of Words
Greece 10awards
Joined 3rd Sep 2011
Forum Posts: 2252

What i am
is who i am
and what i am
is me

lepperochan
Craic-Dealer
Guardian of Shadows
Palestine 67awards
Joined 1st Apr 2011
Forum Posts: 14449

thanks, everyone. hard to answer all posts with a phone, takes ages. I'll get to them soon

I've Ben thinking about the whole modern speak thing and I think maybe there's some merit in it, though it's probably more of a modern write than modern speak ...which may technically point to a
trend

I'm not sure if, historically speaking, words have been taken out of language. I think definitely as the Rabbit touched upon, meanings of words have changed

the entertainment industry can trend word meanings. the Jazz era for example brought us a new meaning for cool and cat. silver screen has done the same with hot meaning very attractive

also governments can change words to make things sound a bit more palatable

a British naval officer coin the acronym OMG back in 1918 or there abouts, but it didn't really take hold in modern language for sixty or seventy years

lepperochan
Craic-Dealer
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Viddax said:'I' when repeated can be rather annoying and self-centred, and a detracting in a poem where the me or you or I is merely a point of reference, and the not the poem's main point. It could also be something to do with the lack of synonyms and other words that can fulfil the same role; why confuse the reader when you can simply omit it altogether.
Or, that key is broken.
The I's don't have it!


this was pretty much my feelings when I started to leave out the I's. felt a bit weird though at the beginning, still does in fairness which is probably why I could never omit all of them. also I think position is paramount. it's handy enough to leave an I out when it's at the start of a sentence, not no easy when it's mid-sentence, that probably takes a bit of practice  

lepperochan
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mebo said: In addition to reflecting how we think and perhaps speak, it's a way of narrowing the focus to the essential; the I is sort of a given so, why must we say it, when the pespective is obvious?  I often omit a lot of words which are not essential to my message; it's sort of like making flourless brownies.  Makes for a denser experience altogether.  I don't do that because anyone said to; I do it while I am editing and I suppose I am trying to carve away everthing that is not essential to the heart of my message. Like getting to the bones, I guess.

cheers

surely flour-less brownies lack something which flour-full brownies have. words aren't in any danger of running out ..why are you so mean with them ..or sparing might be a better word.  ..that said, I do the same, but again I do it cos it seems to be the un-written rule ..or maybe it is written and I just haven't read it yet

lepperochan
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Joined 1st Apr 2011
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Magdalena said:First person is "I, me, we, us, mine, ours, my" so the use of "I" can be reduced and still read fine, but not omitted completely.
I did write a poem "Scantily clad chapters" without any pronouns, but that can be read as first, second or third person.  If I wanted it to be first person I would have had to use pronouns in a first person context. I I I I I I I I I I I  :P

Nonetheless, just my opinion.


g'wan ya rebel. I think you have a point with the reducing of I's.  I think a no pronoun at all could work handy enough and as you say gives an option for it to be read in either perspectives. ..neat little trick there, Lady  

lepperochan
Craic-Dealer
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Palestine 67awards
Joined 1st Apr 2011
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rabbitquest said:Calamatiygin has brought up a new point, the invention of the "fact-jack".  As Jack, would have been J if referred to Jills companion, jack in the current sense refers to a lifting device to get under, or beneath an object, to find out hidden meanings, and underlying underpinning motives behind the sickeningly sweet facade of a fact.  Thus the fact-jack. as comonly used in the urban environment:  Honey, sorry I was held up at the office. Yes dear, that explains the long yellow hairs stuck to your shirt, the lipstick on your underwear, and that glazed look in your eyes. Dang, gurl, you just fact-jacked me!.

But back to the point of this thread, I think Professor Lep has a point, I have done it mihself, that is , edit out all the I's, thinking it makes my writing slicker, or more slick. I am seriously going to reflect on what I 'think' makes my writing better, and realize most all of the time, it is just not so.
Thanks man.


I've never heard of fact-jacking. I like it,  and so will incorporate it into my general speak. I suppose one way writings are different than speech is they are more permanent. our spoken words dissapear when the sound-waves pass but our writings, especially with the internet are recorded forever and can be scrutinized by anyone, so I s'ppose a lot of people write in a way which they're comfortable with.'they' say we should write the way we speak and I guess there is merit in that, but sometimes I want to have a bit of fun with words. I've written words with different accents in my head, Jamaican accent is a bit of craic to write with. it's all trial and error I think, I mean you could write stuff that may seem un-slick to you but may read slicker than a fish caught up in a BP oil-spill to others  

gazellemon
Bradley J
Fire of Insight
United States 6awards
Joined 6th Mar 2014
Forum Posts: 372

Personally, I try to reduce the times I say the word I where possible (three times in one sentence lol). I do it for some of the reasons above. First I want to a few words to go a long way. Second I do not want to limit the scope of my writing.  Removing the I's from my writing inherently makes it less about me (which I think is good). Yes, I am still talking about the way I feel, but hopefully resonating with others in a more direct way.

By explicitly referring to yourself, you define boundaries of your creative expression.

It is funny though.. the generation they say is the most selfish would seemingly have a trend that would suggest the opposite.

my 2c




gazellemon
Bradley J
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lepperochan said:thanks, everyone. hard to answer all posts with a phone, takes ages. I'll get to them soon


You are just trying to get to 10,000 comments ;P

lepperochan
Craic-Dealer
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brokentitanium said:As a language junkie, I'm enjoying reading this thread!  (See, I just used I there because I am talking about my own reaction to what I'm reading.)  But I have on occasion left out the I in facebook posts, or emails to friends, or whatever because it kind of goes without saying when your name or picture is attached to what you say, I guess.  But I would never say something that way out loud as it would sound just....weird.

But poetry is different.  I have also left out the I in poetry, mostly just because that's the way it came out - not much thought involved.  But now that you've got me thinking about it.....regardless of the intent (or lack thereof), I do think it has an interesting result - it leaves the subject of the sentence open for interpretation, so the reader can more easily insert themselves into what they're reading.  If I say "I am standing on a windswept beach looking at the reflections of stars..." it has a different effect than "....standing on a windswept beach looking at the reflections of stars...."  I think it invites people into the poem, rather than relegating them to the role of observer.

Hm.  Scratching my head.  Metaphorically speaking, of course.


yeah, see that's kinda my point about modern speech, I just don't think speaking without I's would work very well. on paper though it can work right enough, and if you're doing it without even thinking about it then you must be conditioned to that type of writing ...but then you must write different than you speak  ...so you're not doing it right ...tsk tsk

"standing on a windswept beach looking at the reflections of stars.."

I agree, also the sentence doesn't confine the reader or writer to be speaking of one person either, you could be talking about any number of a gathering so it definitely opens up a few different ways to interpret  

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