How Does the Medium of Literature Affect the Work Itself?

When we are conveying information, the medium that we choose to use alters the message itself. This is explained by Marshall McLuhan in the selected text “The Gutenberg Galaxy”. Within this writing, McLuhan describes how verse and poetry is often made to be spoken, but can also use affordances that the written word provides now that we can print the poetry. Whether it is meant to be read or to be spoken will change the work itself.

A great example of this is E. E. Cummings. This poet is known for creating verses that have untraditional layouts on paper to express emotions, pauses, or to highlight certain passages. He breaks written convention and traditional grammar to accomplish this. Thus, his work is not only poetry, but visual art, and the latter aspect can be lost when spoken aloud.

While this formatting would be lost if the poem were spoken, context would simultaneously be added. When speaking, one can express emotions through their voice, tone, and facial expressions. However, it is impossible to replicate the experience of hearing this verse spoken when creating a written work and vice versa. Thus, the medium by which this poem is expressed intrinsically changes the poem itself.

To further exemplify this, I’ve linked a video of a choir performing this work below. These singers are performing this poem, but the experience of hearing them sing it is vastly different than reading it on the page.

To conclude, the medium by which we convey information alters how we experience the information itself. The choral performance of E. E. Cummings’ work is experienced very differently than how his written poetry is.