Reading Ribbon Diagrams

Transcription

1 12.01 X X X S42.0 X X Y Y X X X X X S S Y Y X X X S X Y X X X X X X Y X1.01 Y X Y X X Y X X X X X X X X S X X X X X X X S S S S S41.1 S S S S Y Y S S X X Y X Chunk 1 X X Chunk1 Chunk 1 Chunk 5 X X S X Y X X Y X X X Chunk X X X X X X Chunk Chunk 2 X X X X X X X X X Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y X Chunk 5 S S X43.1-X X X X S Y Y59.01 X X S4.00 X4.00. Y4.00 Y4.01 Chunk 6 S4.01- S4.05 S4.06 Y4.06 Chunk 6 Y44.0 X4.01-X S S Y Y S S S42.0 X Chunk X Y Y X Y X S X Chunk 7 X X X X X X S Chunk S S X Y X X S S44.3 S S S S44.0 S S S S S S S S13.02 Chunk 5 Chunk 6 Chunk 6 Chunk 6 Chunk 6 Chunk 7 Chunk 7 Y Y Y Y Y Y16.00 Y Y Y4.01-Y Y44.0-Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y X X X Y Y Y X Y X S S X X Y X How to Read a Ribbon Diagram Reading Ribbon Diagrams (Slide 1) A ribbon diagram is a visual representation of the organization of a text. Think of it as a table of contents stretched out horizontally so that you can see not only what is in the text, but how large each piece is. We have created ribbons by hand, on pieces of paper, and by using computer programs such as Microsoft Excel. Old English Penitential Ribbon (three manuscripts) Book I Book II Book II Book 3 Book IV (Slide 2) We can add as many layers as we want to the diagram to represent different aspects of the text.

2 Layer One Chunk 1 Chunk 2 Chunk 5 Chunk Division (Slide 3) In Lexomic analysis, the top layer shows how we have divided up the text into segments. Though for convenience we often use segments of identical size, there are times when it is helpful to divide a text into different-sized chunks. Layer Two Chunk 1 Chunk 2 Chunk 5 Chunk Division Ch. 1 Ch. 2 Ch. 3 Ch. 4 Ch. 5 Ch. 6 Text Division (ex Chapters) (Slide 4) The second layer of a ribbon diagram indicates the major divisions in the text we are analyzing. In a poem this might be line numbers, in a book page numbers or chapters, and in a play acts or scenes. We use the two layers to give us an easy way of identifying the content of each segment.

3 Layer Three Chunk 1 Chunk 2 Chunk 5 Chunk Division Ch. 1 Ch. 2 Ch. 3 Ch. 4 Ch. 5 Ch. 6 Text Division (ex Chapters) Source 1 Source 2 Source Division (Slide 5) The third layer of a ribbon diagram indicates the source of the material in the second layer. We use this layer to represent the relationship of source to segment. As an example, we ll construct a ribbon diagram of the Anglo-Saxon poem. Example: word Chunks (Slide 6) For our analysis, we cut into five 900-word chunks, which we have labeled _1, _2, etc. These make up the top layer of the ribbon.

4 Example: a 689b-764 Line Numbers (Slide 7) For the second layer, we note the line numbers that correspond to the chunks. Word counts are relevant to Lexomic analysis, but line numbers are important for scholars using traditional methods. The relationship of layer one to layer two allows us to see how these two types of division relate to each other, and what is contained in each segment. Example: a 689b-764 Primary Latin Bible (Vulgate or Vetus Latina) Sources (Slide 8) For the third layer, we indicate the sources of various segments of the poem. The yellow color indicates the primary source, the Latin Bible, which is the source for the vast majority of the Old English poem.

5 Example: a 689b-764 Primary Latin Bible (Vulgate or Vetus Latina) (Slide 9) Lines Oratio Azariae Lines Canticum trium puerorum However, two small sections of had a different immediate source: two Latin canticles (short hymns sung in Church) that were themselves based on the Bible, but which are somewhat different in organization and style from that source. These are marked in purple. The ribbon diagram lets us see at a glance that almost all of comes from one source, but one particular bit, which includes lines , comes from the canticles a 5 689b- 764 Latin Bible (Slide 10) Lines Oratio Azariae Lines Canticum trium puerorum We can then compare what we see in this ribbon diagram to what we see in other sorts of representations, such as branching diagrams, which are called dendrograms.

6 a 5 689b- 764 Latin Bible (Slide 11) Lines Oratio Azariae Lines Canticum trium puerorum We can also use ribbon diagrams to note places in a text where closer scrutiny may be rewarded. Example: Soliloquies (Slide 12) Texts with multiple or more complicated sources require more complicated ribbon diagrams. This ribbon diagram of King Alfred s Old English translation of the Saint Augustine s Soliloquies shows that although most of the translation comes directly from Augustine s text, some parts have other sources, and some (those in red) seem to have been composed directly by King Alfred and not based on any known source. Ribbon diagrams, particularly when they are linked with dendrograms, can help us to gain a sense of the overall construction of a text and can be used to highlight areas that might reward closer investigation. By: Michael Drout and Leah Smith

7 "Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this presentation do not necessarily reflect those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.