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From: jps@cat.cmu.edu (James Salsman)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Lyrics
Message-ID: <5569@pt.cs.cmu.edu>
Date: 19 Jul 89 00:34:07 GMT
References: <334@ucl-cs.UUCP> <425@berlioz.nsc.com> <1842@harrier.ukc.ac.uk>
Organization: Carnegie Mellon
Lines: 31

In article <1842@harrier.ukc.ac.uk> rjf@ukc.ac.uk (Robin Faichney) writes:
> In my humble opinion, some Yes lyrics can be quite profound.

Lyrics are often profound.  What I'd like to know is why
there aren't any poetry analysis programs.

Something like...

Input:
   "Smear this man across the wall like strawberries and cream."
       --R. Smith in "Push," 1985.
Output:
   The singer of this line is indicating his disdain for
   contemporary art criticism by presenting a two-stage
   metaphor.  The first stage shows that the singer is at the
   mercy of his critics; that they may "smear" his public image
   at will.  The second stage presents a graphic depiction of
   irreversible damage done to the human body; "strawberries
   and cream" may be likened to blood and flesh.  The singer is
   expressing his disgust of the ultimately vulnerable
   situation that he is in.

It seems like AI is a long way off from this sort of thing.
I wonder why.

:James

Disclaimer:  The university thinks differently than I do.
-- 

:James P. Salsman (jps@CAT.CMU.EDU)