Creativity Exists in all Literary Practices - Term Paper Example

 Creativity Exists in all Literary Practices Although it is common for students of English to grumble over the need to analyze the literary techniques used in a given poem, this exercise may actually give them some insight into the conversation they will share with their friends over lunch that same afternoon. Literary language is most often considered the realm of academia, the language of the literati and too snooty for common use. Concepts such as metaphors, similes, homophones, puns, rhymes, etc all fall within the boundaries of the dreaded literary text and are all used, it can be argued, for the same purposes in communicating. More research into language studies reveals that the types of creative language use that we seek with tortured minds during our high school literature classes is actually more of a spontaneous element of our common communication patterns. “Creativity is not restricted to literary texts but is a common aspect of our interaction with others” (7). Examples that this is the case can be heard in any lunchroom or family room conversation as people play with the words they use in sometimes nonsensical yet highly amusing ways. If it appears in speech and casual communication, it is likely that these elements of speech also appear spontaneously in other forms of communicative language – business reports, sales materials, instruction manuals, etc. This study of the creative use of language in arenas outside the traditionally-drawn boundaries of literature is the focus of Janet Maybin and Joan Swann’s book The Art of English: Everyday Creativity. As they discuss in their book, creativity is necessarily an element of every literary form because it is a foundational element of language. In discussing creativity in literary language and how it relates to the concept of creativity in everyday language, Robert Carter has proposed three different models. These include the inherency model, the sociocultural model and the cognitive model (Carter, 2004). The inherency model suggests that creativity in language is an academic pursuit – where the language is deliberately engaged in an exploration of itself. The sociocultural model suggests that this creativity in its use is the result of specific social and cultural definitions. Rather than the language being engaged in an exploration of itself, under this model, it is a product of the social and cultural ideas surrounding it which determines whether it is literary or not and thus can include everyday performance through normal interaction. Cognitive models suggest that the creativity we find in language has its foundations in our natural mental processes as a means of understanding our world in different ways and is thus linked with our everyday processes at all times. According to these models, human language is already metaphorical in its use so it is not a stretch to believe that literary metaphor or other creativity in language is simply an extension of natural thought. Considering these various models, Carter has finally come to the conclusion that we should be looking at creative language not in black and white terms of literary or non-literary, but rather in terms of a ‘cline’ (Carter, 2004). The term ‘cline’ is used to refer to a slope in which language is more or less literary on a sliding scale that shifts with the socio-cultural environment in which it is considered and with the greater or lesser understandings we reach in our continued study of language use. In each of these models, there is the suggestion that creativity manifests naturally, as a regular function of the communication process. Supporting this concept is the work of Lakoff and Johnson, who suggest that metaphors are not simply literary conventions but are central to the way we think. It is through the use of metaphors that we are able to relate abstract concepts in our understanding to more concrete concepts in our world. This makes them easier to relate to others and thus is again suggested as a central element in the language. The use of the conceptual metaphor is a powerful tool because it reaches to the very center of our way of understanding the world around us. Generally speaking, a conceptual metaphor is defined as a metaphor “that is so basic in the way people think about something that they fail to perceive that it is a metaphor” (“Conceptual Metaphor”, 2007). As a result, the connection, once made, is difficult to remove. The concept of the conceptual metaphor is brought forward by Lakoff and Johnson, who were building off the ideas of the Greek philosopher Aristotle. “The two scholars add a remarkable twist to the Aristotelian distinction, namely that abstract concepts are linked systematically to concrete ones via metaphor. They refer to the result of the linkage as a conceptual metaphor” (Danesi, 2004: 107). The example provided by Danesi is particularly appropriate for considering the messages of advertising. “For example, the expression the professor is a snake is really a token of something more general, namely, the conceptual metaphor [people are animals]” (Danesi, 2004: 107). From this point, the connections are made between the major characteristics of the animal used and the individual to give a conception of that individual’s personality or behavior. Thanks to this deeper, innate understanding of the conceptual metaphor, we are able to replace the first domain, the professor, with any representative of the second domain, the snake. So we could say that Wendy is a Bird or boys are beasts and make the same application to the conceptual metaphor. These metaphors, and other types of creative language, can thus be applied in other forms of communication such as advertising, proving that literary creativity is applicable in all forms of communication. To show how this works, it is helpful to apply these theories to a form of literature that is not typically considered as ‘literature’ per se. The text of a television advertisement includes the words used, the images depicted and their juxtaposition to each other to demonstrate how literary creativity can be used in other forms of communicative practices. In one of Ford’s earliest commercials for their Escape Hybrid, a conceptual metaphor is invoked as Kermit the Frog works to capitalize on the attitudes and beliefs of parents concerned about the quality of life in their children’s future as well as those who feel responsibility for the environment. The advertisement opens with an image of Kermit the Frog singing “It’s Not Easy Being Green” as he rides his bicycle over a rocky trail through brush-covered hills, paddles his way through rushing rapids through a rocky gorge, climbs a steep cliff looking over a pine-covered mountainside and finally parts the leaves of thick, bushy undergrowth to reveal the SUV. He peeks inside, giving the advertiser the opportunity to show off the interior and then walks around to the back where he sees the word “Hybrid” stamped to the side. The song stops as Kermit makes the observation that perhaps “I guess it is easy being green.” Then he stands there and nods his head vigorously, laughing in joy, as he stands back to look at the car while an announcer’s voice comes in to tell us this is “The 36-mile-per-gallon Ford Escape Hybrid.” The commercial ends with a white screen and the car’s name and logo prominently displayed, along with a website address where people can learn more. The website further emphasizes the metaphor presented in the commercial as Kermit, in his guise as a news station reporter, stands by ready to walk the consumer through the various environmentally-friendly and human comfort attributes of the company’s new 4-wheel drive. There are several ways in which this commercial relies on literary creativity to convey its meaning. To start, much of the text of the commercial is focused on the song Kermit sings. In his words, there are a number of literary conventions common to poetry. Rhymes, rhythm and repetition all play their roles to convey the concept that having a green color has significant drawbacks as compared to all the other colors. In these words, as they are sung by a green frog, it seems clear that the song is referring to the physical color of the frog. The ending verses of the song illustrate the strength and importance of the color green as the color becomes connected to ideas of mountains, oceans and trees. With this kind of imagery introduced in the words and the scenery of the commercial, the text begins to draw more and more upon the concepts of the metaphor. Combining these metaphors together within the text of the song combined with the context in which it is being performed enables the viewer to make the connective link to the conceptual metaphor of the environmentally ‘green’ conscious consumer. In making this link, the song becomes the lament of the individual aware of the natural environment, its importance to the well-being of the people and the difficulty of trying to behave in environmentally-conscious ways in a world that still didn’t recognize the threat of industrial processes. Literary creativity is thus expanded through this text to make an instant, deep connection with its intended audience and is further emphasized through the visual effects that are used to highlight its literary merit. The company’s use of the character Kermit the Frog both conjures childhood memories for the target demographic, consumers who grew up with Kermit the frog as one of their childhood friends, as well as brings to mind thoughts of caring for the children of the world as the character is still a popular star in children’s programs. The metaphor suggested through Kermit’s song coupled with his journey in the landscape to the environmentally-active consumer, whether through conservation or simple enjoyment and adventure, provides the consumer with a warm feeling for the commercial before the product is even in sight. They feel, for a moment, the love and admiration they felt as children for this character and begin to develop a desire to be associated with it. The song he sings seems to be the lament of the environmentally conscious everywhere as they struggle to live a healthy, outdoorsy life while still doing the responsible thing for the environment. The metaphor is thus connected to imagery in a very real sense as Kermit bounces over rutted trails, struggles his way through difficult waters and fights his way up bramble-choked hillsides. The imagery constantly reinforces the ideas of green as a color and the metaphor of green as meaning the outdoors. Imagery as a literary concept is used to help bind the abstract ideas of a poem or other literary work to the more concrete examples of the visual world. Although these concepts are included in Kermit’s song, the added element of actually including these visual elements into the text of the commercial in the form of pictured trees, rivers and mountains creates a much more forceful delivery. At the same time, Kermit addresses, through the symbolic troubles he faces during his journey, how difficult it has been for those wishing to reach the far places to do so without damaging the environment. Symbolism is another important element of the creative literary canon that is clearly a part of our everyday means of communicating. Kermit’s travels through the environment of the commercial are surrounded by the color green, introducing a great deal of symbolism that appeals to other conceptual metaphors. One interpretation of this journey appeals to the metaphor ‘life is a journey’ both in terms of the individual and of the planet. For example, as Kermit travels a rough and rocky trail on bicycle, the trail is seen as a dark scar across the face of a beautifully green hillside. This suggests that it’s been hard for Mother Earth to remain green with the various stresses that have been put upon her, stresses Kermit is acting out in his own struggles through the commercial. However, the presence of so much green also begins to suggest that perhaps the world is actually full of green, just waiting for someone to recognize it. This is supported by the fact that Kermit’s activities and locations are reminiscent of several of the more popular activities people do while on vacation. Vacations, of course, represent relaxation and enjoyment, not the struggle and effort suggested in Kermit’s song. Finally, the fact that Kermit finds the SUV at the top of the mountain suggests that it was able to overcome all of the challenges he had already gone through during the space of the commercial. The way the truck is parked, on what appears to be an open glade naturally designed for the vehicle, further reduces the idea that it is harmful to the environment, not even leaving the kind of deep scar worn into the hillside by Kermit’s bike. Not only is it environmentally friendly and frog-approved, it is spacious and rugged as well. By simply announcing the name and the gas mileage, the advertiser gives off the impression that this is all a person needs to know about this vehicle to make it worth buying. The metaphor that has built up between the frog and the consumer is now transferred over to the truck, making it a natural match for the buyer. Through the use of the creative literature, a relationship is developed between the product being advertised, the spokesperson and the consumer base that is difficult to ignore because of the depth of the relationship formed in the space of a 30 second commercial. The consumer watching the commercial quickly identifies with the frog on TV as he echoes their lament from a variety of viewpoints. From the busy city wife who works to recycle everything to the active outdoorsman who uses his weekends to participate in the activities presented, the age group being targeted recognizes Kermit as one of their childhood friends and trusted buddies and the connection between them is re-forged. At the same time, empathy for the environment is encouraged as Kermit highlights the many things there are to appreciate in nature through his song. When he finally reveals the product being advertised, his hearty approval of the truck acts as a bridge from the consumer to the truck, transferring to the truck all the positive attributes that have been suggested through Kermit and the consumer’s identification with him. This is a process that occurs under the surface of the thinking mind in the space of seconds thanks in large measure to the deep structures of cultural identification and the process of the conceptual metaphor. Works Cited Carter, Ronald. Language and Creativity: The Art of Common Talk. New York: Routledge, 2004. “Conceptual Metaphor.” Open Politics. (2007). May 13, 2010 Danesi, Marcel. A Basic Course in Anthropological Linguistics. Toronto: Canadian Scholars Press, 2004. “It Aint Easy Being Green.” Ford. (2006). May 13, 2010 Maybin, Janet & Joan Swann. The Art of English: Everyday Creativity. New York: Palgrave MacMillan, 2006. Read More