Ode to Typography

Page 1



,gnol sretteL Ode ,ereves to ,lacitrev Typography ,enil erup fo edam Pablo tsam s’pihs a ekil tcereNeruda egap eht fo elddim eht ni ;ecnelubrut dna noisufnoc htiw dellfi ,inodoB ciarbegla ,srettel etelpmoc ,sdnuohyerg sa nael ;y rtemoeG fo elgna tcer etihw eht ot tcejbus tsac slewov nairivezlE pohstnirp eht fo leets etunim eht ni ,srednalF ni ,retaw eht yb ,slanac eht fo htroN eht ni ; rohcna eht fo srehpic


Letters long,

edO

severe,

ot yhpargopyT made of pure line, a dureNerect olblike aPa ship’s mast vertical,

in the middle of the page filled with confusion and turbulence; algebraic Bodoni, complete letters,

lean as greyhounds,

subject to the white rectangle of Geometry;

Elzevirian vowels cast

in the minute steel of the printshop

by the water, in Flanders,

in the North of the canals,

ciphers of the anchor ;


Aldine characters firm as

,rettel hcae taeb yeht

the marine stature of Venice,

,ti detcere

,ssenetihw eht no einutwhose a ts kcamother lb llamswaters, a thgulike ohtafoleaning toof y rsail, ra ts a ro la tep a navigates ,revirth the nelcursive lows a fcurving o mrof ethe ht galphabet: nika t anic discov the air of the oceanic discovers elpoep fo aes a ot gnihsur bent down .teltuoforever eever ht gnthe itanprofi imullle i te ofbaw writing. hpla eht lla htiw nem fo sFrom eyom e ehmedieval t ,straeh hands ehT to ,sdrow ,segassem ,srettelyour htiweyes dellfiadvanced emaceb this N, gnissap eht dna this double 8, dam desiar dniw tnenthis amrJepthis ro R of regal and rain. .skoob There dercasthey ro were shaped like teeth, nails, metallic hammers of language.


Letters long,

they beat each letter,

severe,

erected it,

vertical,

a small black statue on the whiteness,

made of pure line,

a petal or a starry foot of thought

erect like a ship’s mast

taking the form of a swollen river,

in the middle of the page

rushing to a sea of people

filled with confusion and turbulence;

with all the alphabet illuminating the outlet.

algebraic Bodoni,

The hearts, the eyes of men

complete letters,

became filled with letters, messages, words,

lean as greyhounds,

and the passing

subject to the white rectangle of Geometry; Elzevirian vowels cast

or permanent wind raised mad

or sacred books.

in the minute steel of the printshop by the water, in Flanders, in the North of the canals, ciphers of the anchor ;


Aldine characters firm as sdimaryp nettirw ylwen eht htaeneB Letters, the marine stature Venice,and,ekindled, vila saw rettel eht letters thatoftraveled

in whose mother ,gninrubwaters, tebahpla eht Letters like leaning sail,and conquered, ,slewov eht lettersa that sailed

navigates .srew the oflcursive dev rucand curving ekilclimbed, stnathe nosalphabet: noc eht letters that awakened

the air ofletters the oceanic discovers ,seye s’ repap ehT that liberated,

bent down forever gnikdove-shaped eethe s neprofile m ta dthat eofkowriting. o hcihw letters fllew,

;sevol in riethe ht ,ysnow; roto tsih rieht ,stfig rieht From medieval hands letters scarlet

;erusayour ert deyes etapunctuation, luadvanced mucca ehtthis gniN, dnetxe

modsiw fo ssenwols eroads, ht ylndouble eddus 8, gnidaerps this ;sdrac fo kced a ekil drow s’ retbuildings nthis irp eJhtthis rof evR oletters, of regal and rain. ,tlover ,seiromeand m ,Villon gnothey s ,and sewere gaBerceo, ehshaped t fo sumlike uh terces eht lla There ,y rantroubadours arg ,ytidnuceof f ememory rew ylneddus ,elbarap dnilb teeth, nails, faintly written on leather as on battle drum, metallic hammers arrived at the spacious nave of books, of language. at the sailing typography.


Beneath thethey newly written sa mrfi sretcarahc enidlA beat each pyramids letter,

theerected letter was it, alive,

the alphabet ,sretaw rehtoblack m esostatue hw ni on the whiteness, aburning, small

the vowels, a petal or a starry ,lias gnfoot inaeof l athought ekil

,ecineV fo erutats eniram eht

:tthe ebtaking ahconsonants pla ethe ht gform nivlike ruof c curved eavswollen isrucflowers. ehtriver, setagivan

rushing The reyes, evocsid cinaeco eht fo ria eht to a paper’s sea ofspeople with all which .gnalphabet itirlooked w fo eilluminating lat fiomen rp ehseeking t revthe erooutlet. f nwod tneb the

ot sdThe natheir h hearts, lavloves; eidem orF of men their gifts, their history, themeyes

extending ,N sihtthe dbecame ecaccumulated navdafislled eyewith rtreasure; uoyletters, messages, words,

,8 suddenly elbuod sihthe t and spreading slowness of wisdom the passing

.niar dna lager fo R sorihpermanent tthe J sprinter’s iht over wordraised like a mad deck of cards; wind kil depaofhsthe ereages, w ye tsacred erehmemories, T books. revolt, all the secret ehumus orhsong, ,hteet blind parable, suddenly were fecundity, granary, ,slian sremmah cilla tem .egaugnal fo


Yet the letter was Letters, not beauty alone, but life, peace for the soldier; letters that traveled and kindled, it went down to the solitudes of the mine, Letters miner read the hard clandestine leaflet, and the letters that sailed andand conquered, folds of awakened the secret and heart and above, on earth, hid it in the letters that climbed, he was different letters that liberated, was his word. that flew, and different letters dove-shaped The letter was the mother of the new letters banners; scarlet in the snow; the letters begot the terrestrial stars and the song, punctuation, the ardent hymn that unites peoples; roads, from one letter added to another letter and another, buildings of letters, to people went bearing its sonorous authority, from people and Villon and Berceo,

and wellingofinmemory the throats of men troubadours

it imposed the clarity faintly written on leather as on battle drum, of the song. arrived at the spacious nave of books,

at the sailing typography.


Beneath the newly written pyramids

,sretteL

the letter was ,delalive, dnik dna delevart taht srettel the alphabet burning,

sretteL

the vowels, ,dereuqnoc dna delias taht srettel the consonants owers. ,debmilclike dnacurved denekaflw a taht srettel The paper’s ,eyes, detarebil taht srettel which ,welooked fl taht datepmen ahs-eseeking vod srettel their gifts, their history, ;wons etheir ht ni loves; telracs srettel extending the treasure; ,noitaccumulated autcnup spreading suddenly ,sdathe or slowness of wisdom word like a deck of cards; ,sretteover l fo sthe gnidprinter’s liub all the secret humus ,of revolt, oethe creBages, dna nsong, olliV dmemories, na blind parable, suddenly y romwere em fofecundity, sruodabugranary, ort ,murd elttab no sa rehtael no nettirw yltniaf ,skoob fo evan suoicaps eht ta devirra .yhpargopy t gnilias eht ta


Yet the letter was not beauty alone,

but life, peace for the soldier;

,yhpargopyt tuB uoy etarbelec em tel

it went down to the solitudes of the mine,

,selfiorp erup ruoy fo y tirup eht ni

and the miner read the hard and clandestine leaflet,

hid it in the folds of the secret heart and above, on earth, ,Y keerG eht fo esav rewofl hserf eht ni

he was different

,odeveuQ fo Q eht ni

and different was his word.

The letter was the mother of the new banners;

,O rettel eht fo troter eht ni

rettel taht erofeb ssap y rteop ym nac woh( ,)?egas gniyd eht fo redduhs tneicna eht leef ton dna

the letters begot the terrestrial stars,yand rotcithe v fosong, V eht fo deilpitlum ylil eht ni

the ardent hymn that unites nepeoples; vaeh ot bmilc ot denolehce E eht ni

from one letter added to another letter and another,

from people to people went bearing its sonorous ,ecaf tlobauthority, rednuht sti htiw Z eht ni

and welling.Pindethe pahthroats s egnarof o emen ht ni

it imposed the clarity of the song.


,enola y tuaeb ton saw rettel eht teY

But typography,

;reidlos eht rof ecaep ,efil tub

let me celebrate you

in the purity of your pure profiles, in the retort of the letter O,

,enim eht fo sedutilos eht ot nwod tnew ti

,teflael enitsednalc dna drah eht daer renim eht dna

htrae no ,evoba dna traeh terces eht fo sdlof eht ni ti dih in the fresh flower vase of the Greek,Y,

in the Q of Quevedo,

(how can my poetry pass before that letter

tnereffid saw eh .drow sih saw tnereffid dna

and not feel the ancient shudder of the dying sage?),

;srennab wen eht fo rehtom eht saw rettel ehT

,gnoVsof ehvictory, t dna srats lairtserret eht togeb srettel eht in the lily multiplied of the

elpheaven oep set inu taht nmyh tnedra eht in the E echeloned to climb;sto

,rehtona dna rettel rehtona ot dedda rettel eno morf

tirohtua suoface, ronos sti gniraeb tnew elpoep ot elpoep morf in the Z with its,ythunderbolt

m forange o staorhshaped t eht niP.gnillew dna innethe . gnos eht fo y tiralc eht desopmi ti


evoL ,riah ruoy fo srettel eht evol I ,ecnalg ruoy fo U eht .erugfi ruoy fo S eht emitgnirps gnuoy eht fo sevael eht nI ;tebahpla enitnamaid eht selkraps eman ruoy etirw sdlareme .wed fo slaitini hserf eht htiw


Love

But typography,

I love the letters of your hair,

let me celebrate you in the purity of your pure profiles,

the U of your glance,

in the retort of the letter O,

the S of your figure.

in the fresh flower vase of the Greek Y,

In the leaves of the young springtime

in the Q of Quevedo,

sparkles the diamantine alphabet;

(how can my poetry pass before that letter

emeralds write your name

and not feel the ancient shudder of the dying sage?),

with the fresh initials of dew.

in the lily multiplied of the V of victory, in the E echeloned to climb to heaven in the Z with its thunderbolt face, in the orange shaped P.


My love your hair profound as jungle or dictionary covers me with its totality of red language In everything, in the wake of the worm, one reads, in the rose, one reads, in the roots are filled with letters twisted by the dampness of the forest and the heavens of the Black Isle, in the night,


Love I love the letters of your hair, the U of your glance, the S of your figure. In the leaves of the young springtime sparkles the diamantine alphabet; emeralds write your name with the fresh initials of dew.


,tsaoc eht fo tnemamrfi dloc eht ni daer

My ,daelove r I your hair profound as jungle or dictionary covers me

suo nahpaid esnetni

with its totality of red language

,delrufnu ytuae In b htiw everything, sra ts esac rewol dna la tipa c htiw ;dnomaid nezorf fo snoitamalcxe dna

in the wake of the worm,

one reads,

in the rose,

one reads,

in the roots

are filled with letters

twisted by the dampness of the forest

and the heavens of the Black Isle,

in the night,


I read,

My love your hair profound as read in the cold firmament of the coast,

jungle or dictionary covers me

intense diaphanous

with its totality of red language

with beauty unfurled,

In everything,

with capital and lower case stars

in the wake of the worm,

and exclamations of frozen diamond;one reads, in the rose, one reads, in the roots are filled with letters twisted by the dampness of the forest and the heavens of the Black Isle, in the night,


I beg a thought for the one ,daeherof ruoy daer I who orders type, riah ruoy daer I and enim raises saj ehthem, t ni dna emitgnirps gnisaecnu eht etavele srettel nefor ddthe ih eone ht who sets for the linotypist yppop eht noitautcnup deirub and eht his rehplamp iced like I litnaupilot over he waves :remof mlanguage us fo retteordering l telracs winds eht dnaand foam, .gnos ym fo srewofl tcaxe eht era yeht shadow and stars in the book: ,tuB

man and steel once more united

,se against sor sti the sdlonocturnal fnu gnitirw wing nehof w mystery, ,gninedrag laitnesssailing, e sti reperforating ttel eht dnacomposing. ,sdrow wen eht dna dlo eht daer uoy nehw ,snoitarolpxe eht dna shturt eht

Typography, I am only a poet and you are the flowery play of reason, the movement of the chess bishops of intelligence. a


I read I read, your forehead,

I read read your in hair the cold firmament of the coast,

and intense in the jasmine diaphanous

the hidden letters withelevate beauty the unfurled, unceasing springtime

until I decipher the buried with punctuation capital andthe lower poppy case stars

and the scarlet letter of summer: and exclamations of frozen diamond;

they are the exact flowers of my song.

But,

when writing unfolds its roses,

and the letter its essential gardening,

when you read the old and the new words,

the truths and the explorations,


I beg a thought ,retniw forrothe n thone gin rehtien tser uoY

sniewho v ehorders t ni etatype, lucric uoy a

,peels uo y fi dna ym and otaraises na ruothem, fo th gin emos gnirud gnfor iyflthe one who sets for the linotypist ,epyto nil fo kaerb ro eugitand af rohis ekilamp rts rolike a pilot over rephe apwaves swen rof o klanguage oob eht oordering t wena nwinds wod ogand uoyfoam, .tsen riehtshadow ot sdriband fo dstars uolc ainethe kil book: ,m etsys eht ot nruter uoY

man and steel once more united

.ecnegilletni fo redagainst ro elbathe laepnocturnal panu eht owing t of mystery, .yaw ym gnola niar e sicerp ekilsailing, llaf ot eperforating unitnoc srecomposing. tteL ,seid dna sevil taht lla fo srettel ,hO Typography, ,retaw fo ,ecnelis fo ,n oom fo ,thgil fo srettel

I am only a poet

and you are the flowery play of reason,

the movement of the chess bishops of intelligence. a


I readYou your rest forehead, neither night eno eh nor t rowinter, f thguoht a geb I

I reada your you circulate ,hair epyt srein drothe ohveins w

and ,mein of htthe our sesjasmine anatomy iar dna and if you sleep,

tsipytonil eht ro f stes ohw enothe ehhidden tflying rof during letterssome elevate night the unceasing springtime revo tolip auntil ekilor Ipdecipher m strike al sihordthe nfatigue a buried or break punctuation of linotype, the poppy ,maoyou f dnago and sddown nithe w gscarlet anew niredro toletter ethe gaubook gofnasummer: l for o snewspaper evaw eh :koob elike ht nai scloud ra ts dof nabirds wodatohstheir they nest. are the exact flowers of my song. detinu erom ecno le ets dna nam

But, to the system, You return

,y retsym fowhen gniw lthe anruunappealable tcunfolds on eht tsits niaroses, ga of intelligence. towriting order oc gand nicontinue tathe rofreletter p ,to gnits iliasessential gardening, . gnisopm Letters fall like precise rain along my way. ,yhletters pargopof yT all that liveswhen you read the old and the new words, Oh, and dies, teo p a ylno ma I ,nosaer fo yalp y rewofl eht era uoy dna a .ecnegilletni fo spohsib ssehc eht fo tnemevom eht

and the explorations, lettersthe of truths light, of moon, of silence, of water,


,uoy evol I uoy ni dna ,tabmoc dna thguoht ylno ton rehtag I :sdnuos dna ,sesnes ,sserd ruoy tub ,aneva suoirolg fo A ,rewot dna ogirt fo T dna .anaznam fo eman ruoy ekil M

adureN olbaP


I love you,

You rest neither night nor winter,

and in you

I gather not only thought of our and anatomy combat, and if you sleep,

a you circulate in the veins but your dress, flying during senses, some and night sounds:

A of glorious avena, or strike or fatigue or break of linotype,

you go down T ofanew trigoto and thetower, book or newspaper and like a cloud of birds to their nest.

You return M to the like system, your name of manzana. to the unappealable order of intelligence. Letters continue to fall like precise rain along my way.

Oh, letters of all that lives and dies, Pablo Neruda letters of light, of moon, of silence, of water,


txet lanigiro yhpargopyT ot edO adureN olbaP rengised eeL poesgnaJ rotcurtsni isoruN ttemmaH noitamrofni ssalc ngiseD cihparG DSIR 0102 llaF ,III epyT noitamrofni ecafepyt 41/8 thgiL 54 dtS tL srevinU 41/8 dloB 56 dtS tL srevinU noitamrofni repap dehcaelb y rreblum detihw ayog kcalb revoc sehcra noitamrofni retnirp 0 041 suly tS nospE


,uoy evol I

original text Ode to Typography

uoy ni dna

Pablo Neruda

,tabmoc dna thguoht ylno ton rehtag I :sdnuos dna ,sesnes ,sserd ruoy tub

designer

,aneva suoirolg fo A

Jangseop Lee

,rewot dna ogirt fo T

instructor

dna

Hammett Nurosi class information

.anaznam fo eman ruoy ekil M

RISD Graphic Design

Type III, Fall 2010

typeface information Univers Lt Std 45 Light 8/14

Univers Lt Std 65 Bold 8/14

paper information mulberry bleached goya whited arches cover black printer information Epson Stylus 1400

adureN olbaP




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