A thought comes to mind that without form and format, commas and apostrophes, and the other mechanical conventions that writers follow and which our students are taught, any kind of foolishness can be offered as proper or justifiable. The work, below, exemplifies that thinking.

It is, of course, a satire in experimental format


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"Yo, dude check it out, man Like this the deal dude, my stuff is coolnot meant for U, fool lol, man, like i don diss, But u too old man, dig? lyk u don' no where i'm frum or wat i'm doin, dude. u don' dig it, like is not for u and u sposed to figger it...."

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If anyone can make a reaonable argument for allowing something like the above to be acceptable as perfectly good English, simply because the writer needed some freedom of expression, is clearly not thinking clearly.

That kind of thinking ignores recognizing that English is a hybrid, developed dynamically through usage patterns, and which patterns have been codified by linguistic scholars in order to allow teachers, students, writers, and anyone who would use this language, some kind of understanding of its undeniable structure.

This isn't a declaration against "poetic license," and anyone generating experimental forms which the writer may believe support his/her work. It is a declaration against irresponsible attitudes that are offered, that a writer should not be bound by the conventions of our language.

It is those very conventions which do allow writers the greatest freedom of expression, without assuming a resentful attitude towards other writers and the critics who, when seen in the right perspective, are the very individuals that have given the linguists and scholars the tools by which they live. And the writers, the tools by which they can find the most creative freedoms. And the readers, the material by which they may be educated as well as entertained. And the critics the very forms and formats they need in order to help us all.

I want to be able to tell a student when the use of a comma is required. And the use of a period. And the use of an apostrophe. And when those mechanics are acceptably optional. Further, I want to be told by a critic or reviewer when they think I didn't use form and format, commas and apostrohpies correctly.


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Author's Note

I went back to edit out a good part of the example that had been there. A further, and perhaps more important thought, was that this presentation against linguistic anarchy, very closely approached linguistic arrogance. My apologies.
9/30/08

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Additional Notes

Originally this appeared under Stories. It belongs here, under Poetry Help. It is hoped I will be forgiven the vanity of posting the same work twice.
01/09/09