Since passages in "A Dice Throw" are a bit undefined, I chose to focus on the first two sets of pages (p 160-3) of the poem. I am looking at these in particular because they include a large amount of large space and seem to introduce the espacement technique to the reader/viewer.
Pages 160 & 160 shows the title "A DICE THROW" as a large, bold, capitalized heading positioned seemingly randomly on the page spread. Unlike most titles, it is not centered anywhere. The words are suspended in air, just like a dice that has been thrown. This captures a feeling of unpredictability. Watchers do not know which number the dice will show once it lands, and readers will not know where the words "land" (in respect to meaning) until they continue through the poem.
Pg 163's "AT ANYTIME" visually appears as a continuation of the dice throw. In fact, by flipping between the two pages, one can almost see the trajectory of the thrown dice. Like the first line, "AT ANYTIME" is also suspended in the air of the page. However, the content makes is a suspension within time rather than space. In other words, the dice is one point or location in a void (or in an abyss), while the "anytime" moment is a point in time also in a vast, undefinable surrounding. The term "everlasting circumstances" in line 4 enforces the infinite time aspect.
Lines 3 and 4 appear as if contained in their own invisible box, in which 3 is centered above 4. Their vertical positioning creates a boundary where "AT ANYTIME" is cut off, and they look like a caption of that line and all of the white space surrounding it.
Lastly, line 5 "FROM THE DEPTH OF A SHIPWRECK" is appropriately at the bottom of the page, and the depth of a shipwreck is the bottom of something at the bottom of the sea. The indentation creates space between the two preceding lines and allows this one to be distant both in content and form.
When analyzing Mallarme, Nicole Seifrert focuses on the beginning section Mallarme’s A Book of Nonsense and the capitalization used for words. She mentions that the title “ A DICE THROW” is “suspended in the air, just like a dice that has been thrown,” which I have to agree with. Also because the words are just suspended on the page, it gives off this suspenseful air before you even delve into the poem. Also, she make a point to say “ watchers do not know where the words ‘land’.” I understand this to mean that because of the unknown of the dice throw, there is also an unknown about the meaning of the rest of the poem, almost as if the meaning of the poem is random as well.
ReplyDeleteThen Nicole talks about “AT ANYTIME” and how it “appears as a continuation of the dice throw.” Although I agree with her statement, I also want to mention that these words could be taken literal as well and just stand for the time it takes for a dice throw to occur. There is not set time for a dice throw and it’s usually random and depends on the person throwing it. This reminds me of nonsense because nonsense is random with no set rules and it usually depends on the person who’s thinking it.
She ends with line 5 from page 163, “FROM THE DEPTH OF A SHIPWRECK,” analyzing the line to be taken in the literal sense of it’s meaning. This line is at the bottom of the page because a shipwreck “lands” at the bottom of a sea. I find this line to set up the setting of the poem but also it’s very eerie. When I think of a shipwreck at the bottom of the ocean, I think of darkness and silence. So I found it quite odd that this poem opens up with a dice throw happening in the bottom of the sea. Overall, this could be purposeful to add to the nonsensical goal of this book.