Thanks so much for going into this in patient detail. I needed that. j. --- Rod Stasick <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Sure, no prob. These thing are sometimes easier to > present in person. > Remember these are the two kinds: > > 50 percent mesostics: between any two mesoletters, > you can't have > the second > > and > > 100 percent mesostics: between any two > mesoletters, you can't have > either. > > > > Let's use "The Gettysburg Address" as the source > text and LINCOLN as > the spine: > > > > Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought > forth on this > continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and > dedicated to the > proposition that all men are created equal. > > Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing > whether that nation > or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long > endure. We are > met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come > to dedicate a > portion of that field as a final resting-place for > those who here > gave their lives that that nation might live. It is > altogether > fitting and proper that we should do this. But in a > larger sense, we > cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot > hallow this ground. > The brave men, living and dead who struggled here > have consecrated it > far above our poor power to add or detract. The > world will little > note nor long remember what we say here, but it can > never forget what > they did here. > > It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here > to the unfinished > work which they who fought here have thus far so > nobly advanced. It > is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great > task remaining > before us--that from these honored dead we take > increased devotion to > that cause for which they gave the last full measure > of devotion-- > that we here highly resolve that these dead shall > not have died in > vain, that this nation under God shall have a new > birth of freedom, > and that government of the people, by the people, > for the people > shall not perish from the earth. > > > > OK, so we start from the beginning of the text and > look for a word > that has an "L" (our first mesoletter) > > but no "I" because the next instance of an "I" will > be the next > mesoletter. We find the word "aLl" - notice that we > can't use > "liberty" because an "i" follows in the same word. > OK, so we start > our mesostic with "aLl" > > ...now, continuing in the text, we find the next > word that has an > "I", remembering that our following letter "N" > > will be in the next line...and so on... > > As for the "wing words", you can have as many as you > want as long as > they don't break the rules. > > Wing words on the right of your spine can't have the > FOLLOWING > mesoletter included anywhere in it's phrase > > and wing words on the left of the spine cannot have > the PREVIOUS > mesoletter included anywhere in it's phrase. > > > > So, let's do "LINCOLN" just once and only use one > word for each line > (no wing words - we can add those later), > > we get (if I can line the letters up - MUCH easier > on paper!): > > > > aLl > > cIvil > > testiNg > > dediCated > > lOng > > battLefield > > portioN > > > > By the way, when you come to the last letter in your > spine, > > you act as if you are going to start your spine word > over. > > In other words, for "LINCOLN" when you come to the > last letter - "N" - > > you are searching for a word that has an "N", that > is not followed by > a "L" (your first letter in "LINCOLN"). > > > > OK, so let's add some "wing words". There are some > exceptions in a > few of his works, but, generally, John made no rules > about length of > the wing words. You can have none...or you can have > lots...as long as > it doesn't break the mesostic rule that we've been > speaking of - > repeated letters before the mesoletters. Wing words > can be added to > make a particular point or create your own special > slant on what is > or can be said. Punctuation can be implied by it's > absence. For example: > > > > aLl men are created > > cIvil > > testiNg whether that nation > > so dediCated > > can lOng endure > > a great battLefield > > a portioN of that > > > > fieLd [and so on...] > > > > This is an example of choosing wing words that > > allows you to convey, let's say, a patriotic > meaning, > > but, in another instance, you may be able to add > just enough wing > words to > > give some *other* implied meaning to the text. > > > > and so it goes... > > > Rod > > > > > > > --- > Now playing: Clarence Wheeler & The Enforcers - > Right On __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
