18 AND THE IMAGINATIVE MIND AUTISM AND THE IMAGINATIVE MIND The British Academy publication Imaginative Minds offers an engaging and innovative take on the elusive and special human capacity of imagination. The editor, Dr Ilona Roth, has a particular interest in the complex relationship between autism and imagination. People on the autistic spectrum typically have difficulty in imagining what other people are thinking and feeling, and in understanding and generating narrative, and this would seem to constrain their scope for creative forms of imagination. Yet some individuals with autism display remarkable gifts in fields such as music, art and poetry. In this edited extract Dr Roth offers insights from her research into autistic spectrum poetry.

F ALL THE MEDIA in which autistic A key aim of my research was to explore refined until they could be reliably and talent might manifest itself, poetry is whether autistic poetry transcends the consistently employed by coders working Othe most surprising. Poetry appears, minimal level, whether it captures independently of one another. Some 190 par excellence, an intensely abstract, sym- Holcombe’s ‘images, feelings, shadowy autistic poems (4008 lines) and 190 non- bolic, and free-flowing form of linguistic depths and glinting surfaces’ to the same autistic poems (3904 lines) were randomly expression. To write poetry without creative extent as poetry written by typically sampled and coded for both ‘whole poem’ imagination or the capacity to express functioning individuals (hereafter referred to and ‘line-by-line’ features. Table 1 shows a insight into the human condition would as ‘non-autistic’ or ‘’), and summary of the poetic features coded using seem something of an oxymoron – both whether it has distinctive qualities of its own. this system. The frequency counts for each appear quintessential tools of the poet’s The research summarized here employed the coded feature were statistically analysed. trade. Yet, it might be argued that poetry technique of linguistic content analysis in an Overall, the autistic poetry shared many of writing can be approached purely as a evaluation of autistic poetry and comparison the characteristics of non-autistic poetry, and language system, governed by systematic with the works of a range of neurotypical appeared not as a minimal interpretation of rules acquired in much the same way as poets. The poets also completed a the craft, but as an exploration of its stylistic, the rules for solving quadratic equations. questionnaire exploring their reflections imaginative, and expressive possibilities. ‘Systemizing’ has been proposed by Simon about formative influences, and the While each poet had different stylistic Baron-Cohen as the thinking style favoured motivations for and goals of their work. emphases, there was flexibility in their by people on the . Would deployment of styles across poems, and it be in principle possible to write poetry in Autistic and Neurotypical Poetry variation among poets. Much of the poetry this way? Compared was in free verse form; relatively little To date, work by five published autistic We can conceive of poetry replete with consisted of the equal-length stanzas or spectrum poets has been analysed, each formal poetic devices such as rhyme and rhyming couplets predicted by a rule- sample being compared with a selection of rhythm, but devoid of the figurative and following or systemizing approach to poetry. work by several neurotypical poets, matched expressive qualities that we normally in terms of gender, age, and educational level. associate with poetry. Works written in this Imaginative Devices The autism spectrum poets whose work we way would most likely appear minimal, have studied include two males, aged 11 and This analysis treats figurative words and mechanical, and unaccomplished – examples 20, and females, aged 24, 41, and 53 with phrases as an index of imagination. Themes of the craft without the art. One recent diagnoses of autism or Asperger syndrome. of the poetry were also considered. The definition of the distinctive qualities of present results were arresting in two respects. poetry emphasizes the rich texturing and The basis for the analysis was a set of coding Firstly, as a group the autistic poets made complex juxtaposing of words we associate categories and definitions, which were substantial use of metaphor – as much overall with poetry in its fullest sense: Table 1: Examples of features coded by content analysis ‘Words for poets have meanings, appropriate uses, associations, connotations, etymologies, Coding Category Examples of features coded histories of use and misuse. They conjure up images, feelings, shadowy depths and Global features Theme of poem glinting surfaces. Their properties are Poet’s ‘voice’ – autobiographical, biographical marvellous, endless, not to be guessed at Literary devices – rhyme, rhythm, refrain from casual inspection. And each property – Literary devices Alliteration/assonance meaning, association, weight, colour, Imaginative devices Complex figurative language; metaphor; simile duration, shape, texture – changes as words are combined in phrases, rhythms, lines, ‘Self-aware’ language Reflections on own mental states and self-concept stanzas and completed poems.’ (C. J. ‘Other-aware’ language Reflections on another’s thoughts, concept of other Holcombe, at www.poetrymagic.co.uk) Non-specific mentalist language Mental state references not specifically attributed

British Academy Review, issue 11. © The British Academy 2008

AUTISM AND THE IMAGINATIVE MIND 19

as the non-autistic poets – although the five that which it represents was not entirely philosophical, political, or fantastical topics, varied in how much they employed, in clear. Such metaphors are difficult to as well as about nature, places, or events. The keeping with their individual stylistic understand, but are also highly original. autistic spectrum poets also wrote preferences. Secondly, all used simile to a predominantly from their own ‘voice’ – that Humour was not formally coded in this study, much lesser extent than metaphor, though is, speaking about themselves, from their own because of the difficulty of agreeing an simile was also relatively rare in the perspective. When not writing in this way, operational definition for use in objective neurotypical poetry. Previous findings by they preferred the descriptive, non- coding. A different evaluation is under way to Francesca Happé suggest that simile is more perspectival voice appropriate to explore humorous qualities. Neither the accessible than metaphor to people with ASD, commenting on places or events. They rarely autistic nor the non-autistic poetry gave a while understanding irony is especially wrote from the perspective of another. In markedly humorous impression, though lines difficult. The possibility that somewhat contrast, while the non-autistic poets also such as Donna Williams’ ‘Some people are different skills are involved in understanding wrote often from their own ‘voice’, they quite stormy weather’ surely have an ironic figurative language (the task in Happé’s frequently took another’s perspective as well humorous appeal. study) and in spontaneously generating it as adopting the non-perspectival voice. within poetry requires further research. If figurative language use is a legitimate index, these results do demonstrate the The Language of ‘Self’ and ‘Other’ In terms of imaginative characteristics and capacity for creative imagination among scope, the autistic poetry had some This analysis yielded results echoing those for autistic poets. The differential use of distinctive features. Fantasy was infrequent perspectives. Overall, the autistic poets metaphor sub-types by the autistic and non- among the themes of this poetry, though it referred substantially more often to their own autistic poets suggests some qualitative or also included works with a surreal quality: thoughts, sensations, emotions, and desires quantitative contrasts which merit further than to the corresponding mental states of investigation. Of course, the creative impact others. This self-referential language was Standing on the edge of black inspiration of a poem is not purely, or even principally, a significantly more frequent than for non- night, function of its use of metaphor: a poem may autistic poets, who showed a more even Lure of Strawberry Fields for ever, be replete with metaphors that do not evoke balance between self- and other-related an imaginative response. The systematic language. Backed up in a duel, methodology used here to analyse metaphors Against a knight of the night in shining and their sub-types also took into account the This finding is of particular interest. Recent armour meaningful context of each individual poem. work by Marco Iacoboni, among others, Life behind glass, a living death made However, the method is necessarily limited in proposes that ‘self’ and ‘other’ are co- tolerable the scope it offers to embrace the poet’s constituted in autism, such that autistic Pure fear of the one touching touch metaphorical intentions. Further studies individuals who lack theory of other minds which could shatter the glass forever addressing these complex questions are in will also lack self-awareness. Assuming that And send the tightrope walker progress. the poets’ use of mental state language serves plummeting from her tightrope, as one index of their mental state awareness, Into the knowing of the unknown These findings once again seem at odds with the present pattern suggests, by contrast, that the predictions of the systemizing approach. their capacity for self-reflection may be From ‘Becoming Three-dimensional’ While the ability to use literary devices such selectively preserved or enhanced. by Donna Williams (2004) in her book as rhyme and rhythm lends itself to a Not Just Anything: A Collection of Thoughts systemizing strategy informed by a set of The wider rationale for exploring mental state on Paper, published by Jessica Kingsley, rules, it is hard to see how a grasp of subtle language in this study was that a capacity to © Donna Williams. ambiguities of language required to write express ideas about the ‘the human metaphorically could be acquired or condition’ is one of the attributes to be expected of poetry that transcends the A statistical analysis of metaphor sub-types implemented in this way. Given the minimal level. The autistic poetry in this showed that the autistic poets provided fewer explanatory value of the systemizing study meets this requirement, but does so ‘exceptionally creative’ metaphors, defined approach in explaining other aspects of predominantly through the poet’s inward- for the purposes of coding as images related autism, this merits further investigation. directed reflections on the self. in a way that was both original and Poetic Perspectives penetrable. More of their metaphors were Poets’ Reflections on Their Work either moderately creative or idiomatic The most strikingly distinctive feature of the figures of speech, such as ‘bright new worlds’ autistic work was the pronounced focus on Although the questionnaire data gathered or ‘pompous talking heads’. However, one of the self. The themes chosen by autistic poets alongside this analysis present a mixed these poets also produced more ‘idiosyncratic mostly concerned the self or relationships picture, some of the poets’ reflections do echo metaphors’, in which the relationship between the self and others, while the non- the rather solipsistic character of the autistic between the metaphorical expression and autistic poets also wrote often about poetry described here. Two adult autistic 20 AUTISM AND THE IMAGINATIVE MIND

poets who reflected most eloquently upon experience, yet a particularly powerful spectrum, their possible implications for the questions posed, described the formative evocation of the private world(s) of the poet. theory should not be discounted since influences upon their work as intensely The projective or perspectival character of the problems with imagination are integral to the personal. While neurotypical poets poetic work therefore permeates and shapes definition of autism regardless of ability level. emphasized the role of a parent, teacher, or its creative character such that these two The outcome of the present work is far from school in engendering their interest, these major forms of imagination seem integral, a definitive conclusion about imagination in two described their poetic skill as arising not independent as some researchers have autism, but rather a demonstration of the unconsciously and instinctively from their proposed. complex questions that must be addressed, interest in words. Similarly, while the source concerning both autism and the imagination Popular views about the mental world of the of inspiration for many neurotypical poets itself. person with autism may range from thinking included childhood experiences, obser- that he or she does not really have an inner vations on the world, and so on, one autistic life, but lives entirely in the ‘here and now’, Ilona Roth is Senior Lecturer in at poet described her inspiration as ‘From ME. to the assumption that individuals with the Open University. My thoughts. My experiences’. There were autism are all eccentric geniuses. This differences, too, in the extent of acknow- Imaginative Minds, edited by Ilona Roth research has addressed the elusive dimension ledged interest in the works of other poets. (Proceedings of the British Academy, volume of thought at the heart of these contrasting 147), which originally arose from an Academy Here perhaps in this personal focus is a clue views – the imagination – and has aimed to conference, was published in December 2007. to the particular character, constraints, and dispel some myths and contribute some potential of autistic creativity. There is insights through an appraisal of autistic skills In September 2008, the British Academy is co- relatively less poetry in which the poet and capabilities in this area. While sponsoring a conference with the Royal Society projects into an alternative perspective, or exceptional accomplishments are compara- on ‘Autism and Talent’. into a world outside his or her own tively rare among people on the autism

Autistic Visual Art

St Paul’s and St Andrew’s Methodist Church and the Migraine Type Lightning and the Elves, by Jessica Park

Jessica Park’s work frequently features faithful representations of everyday objects and buildings. Yet she executes her work in an arresting ‘pop-art’ palette of colours, with some highly imaginative additions. In Jessica’s account of this painting, the ‘glowing doughnuts all over the sky are elves’, while the ‘zigzagging objects are lightning. They look white but they are three different pastels … I see them when I have migraine’. The trans- formation of everyday objects rendered quasi- photographically, by the use of ‘non-real’ colour is reminiscent of the work of Andy Warhol, hailed by many as a creative genius. Ironically, Andy Warhol is also considered by some to have shown strongly autistic features.