This study aims to suggest an education plan that involves poetry's reader constituting the interpretational discourse by modifying his response to the poetry. The reader's response is worthy of notice because even ordered interpretation, or criticism...
This study aims to suggest an education plan that involves poetry's reader constituting the interpretational discourse by modifying his response to the poetry. The reader's response is worthy of notice because even ordered interpretation, or criticism, is formulated by reconstituting the response recalled by the reader at first. However, at the same time, the response should be communicated in a poetry classroom, and the readers in a classroom can assist in solving the problem. The main purpose of this study is to suggest theoretically and practically a model of poetry reading that embraces a subjective response by utilizing the communicative structure within poetry classroom.
The response to poetry is a process of formulating a psychological correlative of poetry text. The response is a substantive base of interpretation because the reader interprets poetry based on this correlative. The reader's modification of the response is an act of actualizing this possibility, and it aims to constitute an autonomous interpretational discourse of an individual reader. This aim has a premise that not the result of constitution of interpretational discourse but the introspective exploration performed by the reader should gain recognition in a poetry classroom. The interpretation presented after the modification of the response is independent because it is composed through the judgment of the reader himself.
The essence of the reader's modification of the response can be examined through two aspects: materialization of the response language about poetry, and communication among readers. The response language comprises the possibility of recasting the complex account of poetic utterance, and this possibility is actualized when the reader explores the cognitive horizon of other reader and conflates it with his own horizon. The reader's modification of the response is also a process of replying-discourse constitution about modification-trigger posed by other readers. The reader is conscious of and internalizes other readers' attention so that he forms a motive for modification personally, or highlights the self who resists other readers' attention.
Based on the subject that triggers the modification, the modification of the reader’s response can be classified into three: self modification, classmate modification, and teacher modification. A modification can be triggered by a question or advice, or the response of other reader. The basal context that situates the modification of the response can be literary education, relational , or personal.
This study investigates the reader’s modification of the response in poetry reading with regard to self modification, classmate modification, and teacher modification for the second year of high school students. Based on the changes in the discourse of the reader, the modification of the reader’s response can be broadly classified into three types: convergent modification, expanding modification, and converting modification. In convergent modification , the reinforcement of elaboration within the reader’s own discourse predominates over the annexation of new contents of cognition. This type has two sub modalities, concentration after selection of specific parts in the response, and alteration in the form of a response expression. In expanding modification, the reader’s own discourse is centered and the contents of it are expanded. Sub modalities of this type include differentiation based on the recognition of distinction between the other reader’s discourse and the reader’s own discourse, and specification by consolidating the parts of the other reader’s discourse and the reader’s own discourse. In converting modification, conversion into new discourse occurs. Sub modalities include replacing the main interpretational hypothesis, and conversion of response stratigraphy. In this type also, there is a possibility of independent constitution of interpretational discourse because conversion occurs at the instigation of the reader.
Based on this understanding, we elucidate the educational objectives and the performative principle of the modification of the reader’s response. The first objective, at the level of the imaginary world constitution, is internalizing viewpoint inherent in the modification-trigger, and renewal of poetic thought based on the reader’s response. The second objective, at the level of response communication, is retaining self-directedness in the process of poetry meaning negotiation and enforcement of rhetorical effect of response.
The performative principle of modification of reader’s response encompasses three stages. The reader first secures motives for modification of response, then performs a modification activity, and lastly produces and inspects the results of modification. Considering the performative principle for the self modification group, postulating a proper introspective language personally by the reader is important. The classmate modification is supposedly of competitive type and the diversity of communication structure must be considered. For the teacher modification group, the promotion of an environment that retains the autonomy of interpretational discourse under hierarchical communication structure is important. For enhancing the effect of modification, connecting the activities of diverse group’s is also suggested to be considered in the performative principle.
The model for reader’s modification of response this study has designed embodies an ideal learner-centered approach to poetry reading by foregrounding the response of reader and promoting the reader’s ability of introspective meaning constitution. The proposed model is also significant in that it enhances the reader’s active attitude toward poetry reading through proper motivation.