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Improving Scansion with Syntax: an Investigation Into the Effectiveness of a Syntactic Analysis of Poetry by Computer Using Phonological Scansion Theory

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Improving Scansion with Syntax: an Investigation Into the Effectiveness of a Syntactic Analysis of Poetry by Computer Using Phonological Scansion Theory ISSN 1744-1986 Technical Report N O 2007/ 26 Improving Scansion with Syntax: an Investigation into the Effectiveness of a Syntactic Analysis of Poetry by Computer using Phonological Scansion Theory G McAleese 29 September, 2007 Department of Computing Faculty of Mathematics, Computing and Technology The Open University Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA United Kingdom http://computing.open.ac.uk Improving Scansion with Syntax: an Investigation into the Effectiveness of a Syntactic Analysis of Poetry by Computer using Phonological Scansion Theory A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Open University‘s Master of Science Degree in Computing for Commerce and Industry by William Gareth Moore McAleese (gm3739) 4 March 2008 Word Count: 14,965 (excluding appendices) Preface I am very grateful to colleagues at work who allowed themselves to be tested (John Andrews, Chris Boomer, Richard Chilvers, Paul Craig, Stephen Cunningham, Keith Dawson, Mark Duggan, Gareth Ferguson, Brendan Gogarty, Wayne Goucher, Martin Kealey , Adam King, John McAree, Jennifer McMaster, Robert Speers and Matthew Williamson). Thanks also go to my supervisor, Trevor Forsythe, who guided me through the project, to my brother Jonathan McAleese who gave me advice, and my parents who supported me. Table of Contents Preface ........................................................................................................................... i List of Figures ............................................................................................................ xii List of Tables ............................................................................................................. xiii List of Equations ..................................................................................................... xviii 1. Chapter 1 Introduction .................................................................................. 1 1.1 1.1 Description of the problem domain ................................................................. 2 1.1.1 1.1.1 Scansion difficulties .............................................................................. 2 1.1.2 1.1.2 Stress Assignment difficulties ............................................................... 4 1.2 1.2 Phonological Scansion .................................................................................... 6 1.2.1 1.2.1 Comparison with expert scansion ......................................................... 6 1.2.2 1.2.2 Identification of rhythm in ambiguous stress patterns .......................... 9 1.2.3 1.2.3 Assessment of Phonological Scansion procedure ............................... 10 T. Criteria for success of the theory.................................................................. 11 1.3 1.3 Contribution to knowledge ............................................................................ 12 1.4 1.4 Aims and objectives of the research project .................................................. 14 1.5 1.5 Overview of the dissertation.......................................................................... 15 2. Chapter 2 Literature Review ....................................................................... 16 2.1 2.1 Classical Scansion ......................................................................................... 16 2.1.1 2.1.1 Description .......................................................................................... 16 2.1.2 2.1.2 Use of Classical Scansion ................................................................... 17 2.1.3 2.1.3 Subjectivity of Scansion ...................................................................... 18 2.2 2.2 Weaknesses of Classical Scansion ................................................................ 20 ii 2.2.1 2.2.1 Rhythmical Prose and Classical Scansion ........................................... 20 2.2.2 2.2.2 Experience of the Reader .................................................................... 20 2.2.3 2.2.3 Attridge‘s Beat-Offbeat Scansion Theory ........................................... 21 2.2.4 2.2.4 Hayward‘s Connectionist Scansion Method ....................................... 23 2.2.5 2.2.5 Relative Levels of Stress ..................................................................... 24 2.2.6 2.2.6 Syntactic Patterns ................................................................................ 25 2.3 2.3 Temporal Prosody ......................................................................................... 25 2.4 2.4 Generative Metrics ........................................................................................ 26 2.4.1 2.4.1 Descriptive Theories ........................................................................... 26 2.4.2 2.4.2 Stress Rules ......................................................................................... 29 2.4.3 2.4.3 Phonological Analysis ......................................................................... 31 2.5 2.5 Phonological Metrics and Recent Linguistic Theories ................................. 33 2.5.1 2.5.1 Groves‘s Base and Template Theory .................................................. 36 2.5.2 2.5.2 Fabb‘s Bracketted Grid Theory ........................................................... 38 2.5.3 2.5.3 Optimality Theory ............................................................................... 39 2.5.4 2.5.4 Hayes‘s Optimality Algorithm ............................................................ 40 2.6 2.6 Computer Applications ................................................................................. 42 2.6.1 2.6.1 Stress Assignment and Syllable Division ........................................... 42 2.6.2 2.6.2 Syntactic Data ..................................................................................... 43 2.6.3 2.6.3 Linguistic Theories .............................................................................. 44 2.6.4 2.6.4 Scandroid (Hartman, 2005) ................................................................. 44 2.6.5 2.6.5 AnalysePoems (Plamondon, 2006) ..................................................... 46 iii 2.6.6 2.6.6 Summary Comparison of Key Applications ....................................... 49 2.6.7 2.6.7 Phonological Scansion‘s Accuracy ..................................................... 51 2.7 2.7 Research question .......................................................................................... 53 A. Criteria for success of the applications ........................................................ 54 B. Criteria for significant success of the applications....................................... 54 C. Criteria for overall success of Calliope ........................................................ 55 2.8 2.8 Summary ....................................................................................................... 55 3. Chapter 3 Research Methods ...................................................................... 56 3.1 3.1 Overview ....................................................................................................... 56 3.2 3.2 Stress Assignment tests ................................................................................. 57 3.2.1 3.2.1 Computer Processing........................................................................... 58 3.3 3.3 Phonological Phrase tests .............................................................................. 58 3.3.1 3.3.1 Computer Processing........................................................................... 59 3.4 3.4 Phonological Scansion theory ....................................................................... 60 3.4.1 3.4.1 Phonological Scansion Procedure ....................................................... 60 3.4.2 3.4.2 Theory: Accuracy against Experts ...................................................... 61 3.4.3 3.4.3 Phonological Scansion Application .................................................... 62 3.4.4 3.4.4 Application: Accuracy against Theory ................................................ 63 3.5 3.5 Phonological Scansion Application, Calliope ............................................... 64 3.5.1 3.5.1 Application: Speed against Scandroid................................................. 65 3.5.2 3.5.2 Application: Accuracy against Scandroid ........................................... 66 3.5.3 3.5.3 Application: Accuracy against Non-Experts ....................................... 68 iv 3.5.4 3.5.4 Application: Accuracy against Experts ............................................... 70 4. Chapter 4 Results ........................................................................................ 72 4.1 4.1 Application‘s Function Tests ........................................................................ 72 4.1.1 4.1.1 Summary ............................................................................................. 73 4.1.2 4.1.2 Phonological Phrase functions ............................................................ 73 4.1.3 4.1.3 Compound Stress functions ................................................................. 74 4.2 4.2 Theory tests ................................................................................................... 76 4.2.1 4.2.1 Matches to expert scansion ................................................................. 76 4.2.2 4.2.2 Matches to expert scansion by Complexity Categories ...................... 77 4.2.3 4.2.3 Application Matches to Phonological Scansion theory......................
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