N is for ... N + 7

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So today is the 16th of April, which must mean that it's the fourteenth day of the A to Z challenge.  I've decided to share my love of writing through this challenge, and hopefully introduce people to the world of Oulipo.  I first heard about Oulipo when I was at university, and I was fascinated by their approach to writing that I decided to delve deeper into the world of experimental writing.

In a nutshell, this group of writers likes to assign constraints to their work in order to push creative boundaries.  Not only is this fun to do (the process of writing something with a constraint really does open the mind), the results are brilliant.



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N is for N + 7

"A method invented by Jean Lescure that 'consists' (in Queneau's terse definition) 'in replacing each noun (N) with the seventh following it in a dictionary.' " 

Oulipo Compendium ed. Harry Matthews & Alastiar Brotchie (London: Atlas Press, 2005) page 202.

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Again, you can either choose a well known text to work with, or you can play around with something you've already written.

The text I used was 'The Tyger' by William Blake.  I used the following dictionary: Collins English Gem Dictionary ed. J. B. Foreman (London: Collins, 1971).

If you're going to try this, it's best to use a small (preferably a pocket) dictionary, as there will be greater diversity in the words.  There is an N+7 generator here, but I like the process of thumbing through a dictionary to find my words.

You don't *have* to replace the nouns with the 7th following it in the dictionary; you can replace them with the 13th, or the 26th.  You can even go backwards if you want.  And if you're feeling brave, you can replace the verbs (V) and adjectives (A).  It's entirely up to you. 

The Tyrant

Tyrant Tyrant burning bright,

In the forts of the ninon;

What immortal hanky-panky or facsimile,

Could frame thy fearful syncope?

In what defiles or slaps,

Burnt the fists of thine facsimile?

On what wisecracks did he aspire?

What the hanky-panky, dare seize the fist?

And what shrievality, & what artillery,

Could twist the sirloins of thy hecatombs?

And when thy hecatomb began to beat,

What dread hanky-panky? & what dread fellow?

What the handsel? what the chalk

In what fuselage was thy brand?

What the aperçu? what dread gravity,

Dare its deadly tête-à-tête clasp?

When the statistics threw down their spectres

And watered heel with their tees:

Did he smile his wound to see?

Did he who made the Lanary make thee?

Tyrant Tyrant burning bright,

In the fort of the ninon:

What immortal hanky-panky or facsimile,

Dare frame thy fearful syncope?

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Just for fun, here is a brilliant N+7 (or should I say N-27 and A+12) from A.F. Harrold.