thestig, 1/22

Tmesis is a very interesting concept: that we all re-write while encountering a text. Everybody experiences this; sometimes we address it – after community service trips, people often discuss their feelings: we all feel differently about what we have seen – but most of the time it is happening unconsciously.

Some say it is the small things that make life worth living. Tmesis is one element of life that transforms shades of gray into vibrant colors. Think of how short and boring conversation would be without our minds coming up with new thoughts. Dr. Rog exemplified what conversation is like with tmesis: “‘I was born in a small town-’ ‘me too!’” Yes, this can be a little strange, especially if you haven’t finished your sentence, but the notion of tmesis allows one to make connections that are relevant to one another, making the conversation more enjoyable. Isn’t it boring when you talk to someone who doesn’t utilize their ability to make connections and hold a conversation? That person may or may not be as experienced as you – in reading, writing, traveling, what have you – but everyone has the ability to make some sort of connection.

Another point pertaining to tmesis and the evolution of Hemingway’s poem in the presentation: our “short stories” on the text was driven primarily on how we saw the words on the screen. Some of us said that “A Short Story” was the name of a screenplay; when “For Sale” was added, the story changed to a screenplay that was on the market for purchase. Then, the colon was added: all of a sudden, “typo,” “first half of a title for a paper,” and so on. Once again, it’s the small things in life that make it worth living. Throughout this entire exercise, I couldn’t help but reflect upon Dr. Cheng’s Visual Rhetoric class. If the font had been a different size, weight, color, etc., then all of our stories and perception of what the text on the page meant would have been completely different.