William Wordsworth

William Wordsworth was an English poet that is best know for his crucial role in the Romantic Literature Movement. He was born in the Lake District of England in 1717. McLuhan references Wordsworth on the bottom of page 44 where he includes a verse from Wordsworth poem entitled Expostulation and Reply. McLuhan includes this exert from Wordsworth's poem because he sees Wordsworth as a radical thinker just like himself. McLuhan agrees with the poet's philosophy, and he expands upon it throughout his book. McLuhan sees himself as a reflection of Wordsworth in several ways.

Here is video which reads aloud Expostulation and Reply. Listen especially at the 47 second mark, for here starts the verse that McLuhan references on page 44.

The setting of the poem in on Lake Esthwaite, located in the Lake District, which is in the Northwestern part of England. The two characters in the poem are William and his friend Matthew. Matthew asks William why he is sitting near the lake daydreaming, when instead, he should be reading books to enlighten himself. This is an example of expostulation. It can be defined as an attempt (in this case Matthew’s attempt at it) is to reason with a person in order to get him to turn away from a course of action.  William’s reply to Matthew’s question is that he is, in fact, enlightening himself simply by allowing nature to stimulate him. This answer expresses a key principle of the Romantic Movement. A common idea of this movement was that nature and human intuition impart a kind of knowledge and wisdom not found in books and formal education. It was also common of the Romantic Movement for the artist to reveal their deep feelings and emotions through their works. Wordsworth is most definitely doing just that in this poem.

So you might be wondering how McLuhan relates to Wordsworth. Well, I would argue that both McLuhan and Wordsworth are very similar people. They are similarly in that they are both radical thinkers of different movements. They both post original ideas, and both are way ahead of their time. In addition, both McLuhan and Wordsworth think that people should learn in their own ways. McLuhan is afraid of what technology will bring for future generations, and he focuses on primitiveness in different sections throughout the book. In the same way, Wordsworth feels as if nature should be the leading force of growth. He thinks nature should be the teacher and stimulate man’s senses in profound ways. Finally, both are alike in that have high expectations for their readers. McLuhan’s book is challenging to read, as are Wordsworth poems. However, once the reader is able to grasp the message the authors are portraying many thoughts come racing through our brains. Because McLuhan and Wordsworth were so trusting in their reader’s mental activity we are able to gain great insight into what these brilliant individuals were thinking.

In conclusion, Wordsworth's verse of Expostulation and Reply are included in The Medium is the Massage because the poem reflects a radical way of thinking, and McLuhan is all about just that. Wordsworth brought many new ideas to the table through his poems, and McLuhan is looking to do the same thing through his writings. McLuhan is inspired by Wordsworth way of thinking, which is therefor why he is referenced in the book.

Thanks for reading!

Until next time,

Amber

Mind the Gap

When we think of music in today's terms most people think of words that are in collaboration with musical sounds. John Cage, however, says everything we do is music. I definitely agree with his argument, and in fact, I had even considered this theory to be true before learning about Cage in class the other day. I have always been drawn to various sounds, and I have found certain everyday sounds incredible and noteworthy. I have a habit of recording these sounds whenever I get the chance. The most recent recording of an everyday sound that is music is the sound of the Underground Subway that serves as the lifeline for the city of London. The sounds of the Tube (as it is commonly referred to) produce something that is suprisingly similar to the music that we think of today. For example, the sounds it produces get louder and quieter, higher and lower, and longer and shorter. The sounds are acting in a sense, and Cage and myself are completely satisfied by this. Cage also believes that today's music is all too much the same. For example, a Taylor Swift song is basically always the same. Where as if you listen to the London Underground, it's always changing. It is chaos, and it is always characterized by it's unpredictability.When I close my eyes while listening to the unedited audio clip I can picture myself sitting on one of the seats listening to the gears change, while riding on one of the most chaotic transport systems in the world.

Tube map

 The artsy version (the one with an actual meaning behind the manipulations): Track 1

On this one I cut out a clip where the intercom lady announces which tube line the travelers are on, so that it would be somewhat of a surprise for the listener in the end.The video opens with the sound of the doors sliding shut. Then, as the train starts to accelerate, I edited the sound to the "deep voice" option, and, as the audio clip goes on, I include a "helium voice" edit. I did this to help the listener envision going into the pitch black tunnels as if they were really there. When I would take rides on the tube I often felt emotions of disarray when the train would run from one tube station to another. I wanted these sound effects to really exaggerate this feeling that I had. The "deep voice" effect that I chose almost reminds me of space which is where I sometimes felt like I was while I was traveling on the tube. The "helium voice" effect almost puts the listener into a whirlwind, which is what riding on the tube can sometimes feel like. As the train starts to slow down I take away the sound effects to bring the listener back to reality. This is similar to how the conclusion of a tube ride is, for once a traveler gets off the tube he or she takes an escalator up and steps out back onto the streets of London or the "real world."


The sound without effects prepare them for what is to come once he or she exits the tube station. I made sure to extend the length of the sound of the squeaking breaks to really get the point across that the train had come to a stop. I included the various sound effects in the end to serve as a reminder of how the London Underground is truly a masterpiece of subterranean construction, for when one is traveling on the tube, a whole different world is opened up that city-goers above ground often forget about. These strange voices symbolize and echo the different world that exists underneath the city of London that most take for granted. I also played around with the Graphic Equalizer to eliminate background sounds as much as possible in this version of the audio clip.

 The "fun/club" version: Track 2

This second recording is simply the more fun version of my audio clip of the London Underground. I really enjoyed putting this one together, and I felt as if playing around with the different effects bettered my knowledge of garageband.  I was able to make my own beats, make loops, and split up clips.