SARROZA, Djycah F. BSE 32
LITT102e
American New Criticism in ‘A Man Falls to his Death’ by Dr. Cirilo F. Bautista “Suicide (n). The act of intentionally or deliberately killing oneself Murder (n). The crime of killing another person deliberately and not in selfdefense or with any other extenuating circumstance recognized by law” (Microsoft® Encarta® 2009.)
The persona presents facts and comparisons between what happened and the Laws of Physics and Geometrical Mathematics. Jargons and terms used as well as the geometrical theories presented overpowers the real motivation as to why the man would want to end his own life, as presented in parenthesis quotations all throughout the poem.
OBSERVATIONS: 1. The last letters for each line are the same (by pairs) although not necessarily rhyming when it comes to the syllable, *except for lines: 17&18, 19&20, and 27&28, which goes more for the sound than the letter.
2. What are: ?
Berger’s Formula for optics / Berger’s Law, and
(Could these pertain to the “Phi Phenomenon” further discussed below?) ?
Hic primus geometros
(Can this have a connection with a Philippine Historical event?)
3. Certain words used in the poem bear multiple meanings, especially with the use of mathematical terms all throughout, somehow giving deeper and wider perspective regarding the meaning of the literary piece. Dictum
(line 16)
= Law
Fallacy
(line 21)
= mistaken belief
Axiomatic
(line 12)
= ‘self-evident’ = unproven but believed to be true
Integral
(line 10)
= ‘necessary, complete’ = relating to whole units, numbers
Contingent
(line 25)
= true only under certain conditions = ‘group of people’
4. “Blood is Nothing.” The word “nothing” is somehow synonymous to: blank, zero, space “Space is all. Is.” Given the formula: A = B, B = C, A = C Also known as Transitive Property of Equality in mathematics A = Blood B = Nothing/Space C = All Then Blood is All.
5. “…imaginary circle around the vertical.”
ɸΦ (Phi, 21st Letter in Greek Alphabeth), фФ (Cyrillic), and f-sound (Phonics); or the Greek letter Pi (Ππ); or the “Phi Phenomenon” in optical illusion.
a. ɸΦ (Phi, 21st Letter in Greek Alphabeth), фФ (Cyrillic), and the f-sound (Phonics) f
“the sound of falling.”
b. Greek letter: Pi
(Ππ)
The ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. (Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.)
c. “Phi Phenomenon”
(ɸΦ)
Optical illusion: an optical illusion in which the rapid appearance and disappearance of two stationary objects such as flashing lights are perceived as the movement back and forth of a single object. Under some circumstances, people perceive movement from one location to another even though they cannot see actual movement between the two locations. For example, when two adjacent stationary lights flash in quick succession, an observer sees the light move from the first location to the second. This type of illusory motion, called the phi phenomenon, is often used by theater marquees and signs. Again, the interval between light flashes must be just right to produce the illusion of motion—about onetenth of one second between flashes. If the interval is too long—say, two-tenths of one second—the lights appear to flash on and off independently. (Microsoft® Encarta® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.)
6. “He was on the noon shift forging the dream to a reality fine mean could slumber in” Juxtaposition of “dream” and “reality”: The use of two opposing and contrasting words in the same line, as well as the words noon and mean alongside them;
7. Mean: middle, intermediate value, middle-way or medium Noon: mid-day (most important period of something) Probably pertaining to the climax or peak of something like the point where in the position of the sun in the sky is highest during mid-day.
8. “(none noticed the leap; what they saw was the red imprint)” Red imprint = Blood on the concrete
The line used giving another compliment to the “Phi Phenomenon”, where in everyone only seeing the end but not actually seeing the means.
9. “Mass, energy emits equal to zero” Free fall: common term for any motion that, in theory, is determined solely by gravitational forces. A person in free fall experiences weightlessness. ("Free Fall." Microsoft® Student 2009 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2008.)
10. Parenthesis Quotes:
(He was on the noon shift forging the dream to a reality fine mean could slumber in, or whores, in antechamber, touch their bone)
(Above the clogged engine a shadow traced the lines on his foot, while shoot his brain with firelights the money did).
(none noticed the leap; what they saw was the red imprint)
(He was, a day ago, threatened With dismissal for displeasing a superior)
(The Blank and Blank Co., Inc., regrets to announce that. . . .)
Death: Individual’s final, absolute extinction. As an existential problem—why its prospect haunts the imagination in a way unaccounted for by its description solely as a biological “fact of life”. (Collier’s Encyclopedia Volume 7, Death © 1997)
The poem end but not entirely. The ellipsis indicates continuation, a conclusion yet to come. It is now up to the readers to conclude whether the man in the poem committed suicide or was actually somehow murdered indirectly by the men of the company he was working for.
