URL -> CGI -> POETRY

May 3, 2003 12:23 AM

Do you think that poetry is dead, too? Well, that's because everyone is busy getting their websites transformed into poetry by a neat script. [via boingboing.net]
posted by zerofoks (21 comments total)

And thus I had no time writing my own poems...

Metafilter Apr 13 comments Dutroux
to learn cool things
about that.is up! pointing at
4:08 AM PST 27 comments Recipe
for making the news and
what thousands of
experimentalism into a searchable bonanza of Nickolas Muray and
got a small budget, or
WMA format from
which
ended up pointing at 12:10 40
AM PST 13 comments Keyboards Are there
to reorganize their own music geography, economics, Does Frontier
Psychology drive
America is
the Ting Chinese English Center
is the cult film... [...makers around the
only man who spent the Boston public
schools.posted by
crasspastor at your stubborn choice? Damn it, was
serious moneyposted by eyebeam
at 11:40 PM PST 13 PM
PST 27 comments May
03, I make it.
into a way
I
think
is the
dangerous classes:
crime control are over mobility and a Washington Post Live happily ever after!
A permanent celebration of recruiting
retired Gen.
posted by zerofoks at 12:24 AM on May 3, 2003

1.
O Thou
from whose feet reincarnate song
suddenly leaping flameflung, mounts,
inimitably to illimitable
dissipation unhurried clouds
of intangible commemoration, from her lily
inextinguishable, taught by thy dim
shrine of incense fleetly roll i
spill my bright incalculable soul.


2.
O Thou to whom the musical white spring
offers her lily inextinguishable,
taught by thy tremulous grace bravely to fling
Implacable death's mysteriously sable
rob from her redolent shoulders,
Thou from whose
feet reincarnate song suddenly leaping
flameflung, mounts, inimitably to lose
herself where the wet stars softly are keeping

Can you detect which is the real e.e. cummings poem and which is a meaningless scramble?
posted by vacapinta at 12:57 AM on May 3, 2003

vaca - I would guess #1.
And yes, this is fun.

Microsoft Partners Business trip? Use
an
expense report template .NET More
News ... downloads
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Windows XP compatible
See a wide range of Windows Server
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posted by Wingy at 1:46 AM on May 3, 2003

Oh, this is too much fun. For Metafilter, so many jewels... but I will share this one:

Metafilter after all. my
critical
faculty in light WTC
design with audio clips
is a way she wiggles her pass
out. of the newest file This jabeep
may be shadows, it
to create
horrific
violence in 6 comments
____________________

which of course calls for the requisite tagline: "Metafilter: horrific violence in 6 comments."
posted by taz at 3:14 AM on May 3, 2003

I think the script points of something interesting; so much modern poetry is nothing but abstract prose with randomly interspaced line endings. In terms of replicating this form, the script does a damn good job! Indeed much of the output could be submitted to my local amateur poetry rag with little modification.
posted by Jimbob at 3:41 AM on May 3, 2003

And it's by That Other Page's very own CmdrTaco.
posted by PenDevil at 3:45 AM on May 3, 2003

For the most part, I agree, Jimbob, and this is something that has caused me a certain amount of consternation and resignation over the years; I was once passionate about poetry, and then I just got tired.

also: vacapinta, I'm guessing #2... and, just in case I'm (i'm) right - I haven't cheated!
posted by taz at 3:50 AM on May 3, 2003

Please note for future reference: Poetry is dead, as are romance, idealism, road trips, coconuts and Abraham Lincoln. That is all.
posted by blue_beetle at 3:54 AM on May 3, 2003

Please note for future reference: Poetry is dead, as are romance, idealism, road trips, coconuts and Abraham Lincoln. That is all.
Noooooooooo! Not Abe! You bastards!
posted by zztzed at 4:33 AM on May 3, 2003

Can you detect which is the real e.e. cummings poem and which is a meaningless scramble?

Well... Here's a trickier one.

Jean-Arthur Rimbaud, Une Saison en Enfer. But what poem?

A friendly hand ! and mud. Ah ! Those
that I can I
can laugh at dawn, armed with rain, drunkenness,
and one must be an end to seek some
obligation, to bury my
great golden ship, above me, Well,
I talk about a search for divine brightness,
far from all accept new strength, and stamp
with fire
and real tenderness. And
at old love
affairs full of death, all be
able now to that
repulsive little
tree !... The cities of justice is
that repulsive little tree !... The
gnashing of loves
who will
enter
the stinking sighs subside.
posted by psychomedia at 5:50 AM on May 3, 2003

What a game for Saturday nights. Scrambled Poem Trivia.
posted by psychomedia at 5:53 AM on May 3, 2003

and if you want to get meta about it, here's this very page run through that thing:

URL CGI > POETRY | rag with
little tree !... The script via boingboing.net] posted
by thy dim shrine of justice is
dead, as are there
to seek some obligation, to
whom the newest file This
is dead,
as are their original authors

perfect.
posted by angry modem at 5:54 AM on May 3, 2003

ok, and so I generated one using the page on the poetry generator that displayed that above poem:

http://cmdrtaco.net/poemgen.cgi?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.metafilter.com%2Fmefi%2F25534
Amazing Poem based on
the source code
to this will probably take a
poem was generated from http://
www.metafilter.com/mefi/
25534.http://
www.metafilter.

and then again:

Amazing Poem was generated from productive
labor, I
have
it generate a
bit longer You entertained
by this? here. Rob MaldaAre you
can snag the only
man who
will probably take a poem based on the contents!
This will probably
take a URL
and have it generate
a bit longer You entertained
by this? Enter a bit longer
You can snag the source
code to this will share
this one generates poetry. This will
share this
Enter a bit longer You can
snag
the source code
to programming. This here.
Rob Malda

I could do this all day.
posted by angry modem at 5:57 AM on May 3, 2003

Wow, if only this thread had been posted sooner, I wouldn't have had to retire from the monthly poetry-writing group due to my insufficient productivity! But thanks, anway--fun. I'm with you on #2, taz.
posted by win_k at 6:30 AM on May 3, 2003

We should have posted the thread, then generated a poem based on the thread. Then post the new poem, generate a new poem from the updated thread and repeat. Strangely, no matter what you start with, after 666 cycles, the poem devolves into one word...

Nazi
______
URL CGI POETRY | is too Well, because everyone
is dead, as are not
Abe! You can laugh at dawn, armed with randomly interspaced line
endings. In 6 comments
posted by zztzed
at 5:57 AM PST
on May 3 54
AM PST on May 3 1.
And what a poem based on
May 3
Oh, this will share
this is a way she wiggles her
lily inextinguishable, taught by
angry modem at 3:2003
Crabby Office Business trip? Use an expense report
template .NET poemgen.cgi?POETRY |
and so much modern poetry and Abraham Lincoln.
------------
posted by Witty at 7:35 AM on May 3, 2003

MetaTalk Home Category List MetaFilter not logged in, login here
MetaTalk Home The talk
about just ran into the
talk of and found
bottomless darkness...nutboy...God, I am clueless
about just let the pressure
of your already febrile
mind...what makes a
good FPP I know there is
posted by TimeFactor at 9:33 AM on May 3, 2003

Poetry ain't dead. I wonder what the generator would make of the world's greatest poem, discovered by me in 1991 scrawled on the wall of a maintenance-men's bathroom:

COD SACK
ROD SACK
JOHN SACK
ASS SACK
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 9:41 AM on May 3, 2003

Lears fool walks fire
has new tricks to amaze the court
says to his liege
you are courting dreams in this field
where everyone props the siege
gone are those who knelled
in the halls of the shadow fort.


A counter to these "poetry is dead" buffoons.
posted by clavdivs at 10:07 AM on May 3, 2003

SpiderFarmer has just turned your biodiversity IQ!
Get a police state
that they may possibly arrest us,
hide under the new manifesto...
and Pagans can make cartoons of
Viking Kittens...almost upon us...
I Oh, I...
thoughts may not force the end
including penalties for overtime,
instead insisting upon means?
Peeps!
Who are just kinda funny.
posted by dejah420 at 11:33 AM on May 3, 2003

The Unknown
As we know,
There are known knowns.
There are things we know we know.
We also know
There are known unknowns.
That is to say
We know there are some things
We do not know.
But there are also unknown unknowns,
The ones we don't know
We don't know.
-Feb. 12, 2002, Department of Defense news briefing

This is the kind of NewsFilter I like.
posted by MzB at 11:49 AM on May 3, 2003

MeFi 9/11/01 thread:

Comments of belief that crashed in the plane. may*
have in the immediate disproportionate
retaliation rash. things to celebrate
this willing to
the hallways. People do we should all our worries.
It out of NYC look pretty
calm, like the load off the
tower
falling should
have hundreds of interest: http://
news.


In Passing...

In too much
of your
friends. Yeah, right. not
like a 8
or View
123 1255 18 April
2003 just bad
phrasing, if nothing else. Yeah, right.
not
your finger and a
darkroom.


"Sessions Expire"

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posted by hippugeek at 3:45 PM on May 3, 2003