Exegesis

As part of the Issues in Publication and Design study course for this semester, three artifacts were created in order to present an interpretation of Milton’s Paradise Lost book (4 lines pg. 208-313). This particular poem is of a modern take as Adam and Eve are presented in a relationship that have not yet committed sin, while living in the lavish nature God has created. The artifacts had to include three different multimodal components such as, print, vision and sound, as these key elements are able to appeal to different audiences. The first artifact includes the direct text of Paradise Lost (4 lines pg. 208-313) and a text interpretation from an anonymous student. The second and third artifacts are from my view and take on what the original text means. In this case, the second artefact is of a coloured drawing and the third artifact is a piano solo of the song ‘My Immortal’ by Scott D. Davis, where the original song is from Evanescence. This essay will explain the design choices made for the artifacts, as design is an important aspect to appeal to the audience/readers, as ‘Design is not, or should not be , mere decoration and abstraction, but part of the business of communication’ (Weildon 1990). Genre, language and context, meaning and issues involved in publication and designs will also be discussed.
During this semester I was able to present Parker’s theory on the do’s and don’t of design. Parker explained the different tools and techniques that should be adhere in order to present a readable documentation for readers and/or consumers (2003). The type of language that is used in the artifacts is English as it more familiar to readers/audiences. The use of language affiliates ‘a tool of communication between countries, cultural groups and communities’ (Kilgour 1999), which in this case allows the communication between reader and book to be readable. Kress states that language through text is considered to be ‘a full medium of representation and communication’ (Kress 1997). The genre of the piece of text can be acknowledged as a poem since it is a piece that conveys emotions and the experiences of Adam and Eve through the use of proper words and applies literary techniques such as metaphor.

The first of three artifacts is the multimodal component ‘print’. I have decided to use the direct text of Milton’s Paradise Lost (4 lines pg. 208-313) book and an interpretation of the original text from an anonymous source. The original text is a poem which imitates Gods creation of nature and, Adam and Eve, whereas, the interpretation is of alternative texts which present the poem in two forms of advertisement, real-estate and companionship. By using both texts the readers are able to compare how the original text can relate and see how the original text can be interpreted in different ways, as people ‘identify different discourses and understand what ideologies are presented their own way’ (Walsh 2006). With this communication between text and reader always involves decoding according to Walsh (2006), as this enables the reader and text to interact with one another in order for the readers to find their own sense of clarification of the text.

Each text will comprise of different fonts as ‘typefaces with extreme variations in stroke thickness are easier to read’ (Parker 2003). The font and size of the original text will be cursive and a bit more bigger to present how the text would have been written back in the 17th century also to create elegance within the writing, whereas, the other text will have include the same font but size will be larger to present a more modern view. Walsh explains that the format changes are able to create meanings (2006), in other words the slight changes in the size and font of the text will help create more than one meaning. With these types of formats and the type of design I considered which target audience will the text best suit and if they will find the interpretation of the original text laughable. With this I found that it was best suited for the ages of thirteen and above. As part of this group range I feel that most will interpret it in the traditional way or in a comedic way. Both texts will be presented on white pages, with the original text slightly burnt to make the page seem from the olden era.

For my second artefact I have chosen the multimodal element ‘vision’, where I have created a colourful drawing interpreting an image of what I feel Paradise Lost (4 lines pg. 208-313) means, since ‘Visualization is seen as an unproblematic kind of ‘translation’ from one semiotic mode into another – as a simplistic kind of translation from one language to another’ (Kress 1997). The drawing I have created would not only be beneficial to the intended readers, but the artefact would also appeal to children below the intended age group, since they may not understand the texts but they would be able to recognize the drawing as it is the story of how nature was made and of Adam and Eve. The artefact will benefit any demographic as I feel that I have considered ‘both individual differences among readers and the shared ways that people experience’ (Schriver 1997). The drawing is able to compliment artefact one as helps create an image of the original text, as the drawing includes the important aspects of the poem such as, the trees, garden including the beautiful flowers, a river and most importantly the male and female, Adam and Eve. Creating a drawing under the multimodal element ‘vision’ can create a broad audience providing a better outcome.

For the last artefact, I have chosen to use a piano solo from Scott D. Davis of ‘My Immortal’, originally from Evanescence. The purpose for this is while reading and looking at the drawing the music is intended to play in the background. This then can help create a mood. I feel the use of the piano solo will create and set a mood while reading and browsing through the drawing. Music is another form of communication, so by using the multimodal element of sound as part of an artefact this will enable me to increase or attract readers/audience. The use of sound will also help create a meaning, as for this case the chosen song ‘my immortal’ has a delicate melody which can help create a idea or image of Milton’s Paradise Lost book (4 lines pg. 208-313). When reading the text, looking at the drawing and listening to the sound a couple of times the memory of the text and drawing will be remembered when the sound appears anywhere the ultimate thought would be about the two texts and drawing. Kress believes that sound is able to be connected and combined with image and language (1997) which in this case, I believe the chosen sound completes the whole presentation.


The first two artefacts will be presented as a book, which will contain a front page, contents page, the two texts, the drawing and a back page. The front page is a plain brown coloured piece of paper which will have the title of Milton’s Paradise Lost book (4 lines pg. 208-313) in big fonts. The contents page will include the pages that each of the artefacts are in and the back page will be of the same colour as the front page but also include a little pocket for where the compact disc, in which the sound will be on, can and will be placed.

Overall, communicating through the multimodal components of print, sound and vision must be presented clearly to the reader without confusion. For artefact one the changes in the text need to be readable and ensure enough line and space per page to make this possible. For artefact two the coloured drawing needs to be presented powerfully and effectively in order for the readers to be able to understand. For artefact three the sound needs to complement the style of the presentation of the book and also the other two artefacts, the texts and drawing. All the elements of the presentation must be able to appeal to the intended readers and understand the target reader’s needs in order to make it successful.




Reference

Kilgour, D 1999, Importance of Language, Southern Alberta Heritage Language Association, Calgary, http://www.david-kilgour.com/mp/sahla.htm
Kress, G 1997, Visual and verbal modes of representation in electronically mediated communication: the potentials of new forms of text, in Snyder, Ilana (ed) 1997, Page to screen: taking literacy into the electronic era, Allen & Unwin, St Leonards, chpt. 3, pp. 53-79.

Parker, RC 2003, Designing documents for web distribution, Looking good in print, 5th edn, Paraglyph Press, Scottsdale AZ, chpt. 14, pp. 269-293

Schriver, KA 1997, The interplay of words and pictures, Dynamics in document design: creating texts for readers, Wiley Computer Pub., New York, chpt. 6, pp. 361-441.

Walsh, M 2006, The ‘textual shift’: examining the reading process with print, visual and multimodal texts, Australian journal of language and literacy, vol. 29, no.1 2006, pp. 24-37

Wheildon, C 1990, Communicating or just making pretty shapes, 3rd edn, Newspaper bureau of Australia Ltd, North Sydney, excerpts pp. 4-8 and 11-15.