Fred Truman
Design & Code Creative
AraBackBack Ahead
March 9, 2011
The Challenge: Devise a new poetic form. Create a computer program that generates texts that conform to new poetic form you devised.
George W. Bush. Still not much of a popular guy around these parts or anywhere really for that matter. Yet despite all his vast unpopularity I am fascinated by the impact that his administration had on the world, and particularly the middle east. Given the gurgling turmoil we currently see in so many middle east nations I question our haste in giving twitter the full credit. Yes, technology is making an impact in the world but I’m not entirely comfortable writing off the billions of dollars spent in the region during his term in office as a non factor. Did we destabilize the region? Maybe. Did lay the groundwork in the region in a concerted effort to create conditions in which the masses might topple their own governing regimes? Maybe. I’m neither political scientist nor sociologist and I’d like to withhold judgement so that politics don’t taint this inquiry. I merely curious and I would suggest plainly that despite the nasty taste Bush has left on one’s tongue, his legacy has not been sealed yet and the actions his administration took cannot simply be written off as inconsequential.
Read into the motives all you like, but Bush never seemed to let up on the drum of democracy at any cost. He spoke tirelessly on the subject, and I wanted to revisit some of his words in an effort to meditate on this fact. I wanted words removed from the passion of 911, but still reflective of democratic policy ambitions in the American tradition. Bush was never the most regal behind a podium, but I came across what is, on paper, a sufficiently inspirational speech from a visit he payed to the United Arab Emirates capital of Abu Dhabi.
Here’s where the process flips. In all honesty, I devised a technique in python out of pure curiosity. Once I had set it up how I wanted it, I then looked for source texts and tried the processing on Bush’s words because they are something I’ve been thinking about lately. The resultant rhythm of the output was simultaneously coincidental and ever-so-slightly magical in that my program has transformed Bush’s words into a strangely redundant Texas Arabic. It made me think of how a citizen of the Arab world might hear his words. It’s a lot of mumbo jumbo interspersed with pronoun lightning-bolts. I could be over embellishing here :-)
To the nitty-gritty of the python code. What I did was:
- Take a source of text
- For each word in the text, calculate the sum of its letters.
Every letter of the alphabet corresponds to a number between 1 and 26. A = 1, B = 2, C = 3, etc.
For example, apple = 1 + 16 + 16 + 12 + 5 = 50 - Create a dictionary and add that sum of letters to the dictionary as a key
Add apple as a value of the key 50
Add all subsequent words with a sum of 50 as an additional value of the key 50
For example, {’50′: ['apple', 'subsequent', 'subsequent', 'etc.']} - Simultaneously, tag each word with a part of speech using NLTK.
Abstract the part of speech as a numeral code between 1 ~ 26 (just for processing ease) and add that number to a list - For each word in the text, sample a set of subsequent words (let’s use 3 for now) and multiply for the product of their part of speech code
For example, if apple were a noun, its corresponding part of speech code might be 6 and sampling 3 subsequent words in the string “apple apple apple” would give us 6 * 6 * 6 = 216
Repeat this process of referencing each words subsequent 3 word’s part of speech code and returning the product of them then add this product to a list of grammar codes
The result is that we have a list element for each word in the text that is a number influenced by its surrounding words part of speech. - Because this list of grammar codes (composed of products) has much greater range than our dictionary of word sum keys, we need to map the grammar codes down to a range attainable by letter sums.
- Now, for each code in the grammar list, look it up in the dictionary and send its corresponding value to the output. If there is more than one value for a key just select one of its values at random.
- Print the output.
That’s the entire process in plain (or kind-of plain) English. If you are interested in the source code it’s located at the bottom of this post. Now – to the output. One thing I was unsure of was how the number of subsequent words I chose to calculate the grammar code would affect the output, so I made sure it was easily scalable. When I run this program on President George W. Bush’s America & the Middle East: Address in the United Arab Emirates from January 13, 2008 in Abu Dhabi referencing 10 subsequent part of speech tags for each word this is the result:
can may back back back back back find and and aida asia ahead had amid far take dhabi ahead back far abbas bring ink god back era abu each dark chance aida ahead and reach ahead advice dhabi dhabi chart lands can once named face ahead and back aida based arab had face can her made far can come his stand differences defiance defiance today take local denies face face fear with israel amid amid men dark any govern religions country advance like dhabi had whose better bond all abbas ink made made see dealt hamas father abbas side hear abbas need places back aida had back had asia aida hate aiding held people own tehran find abu dhabi dhabi aida fact ahead few even desert goal each each each back been and them secure blows held office people petitioning modern advice for back god each and and been back back each and oil each been hard aida aida back each back and qaeda can and ahead ahead far desert killed and killed held face aida face aida bank aida each saw shia father million opportunities natural fighting ready europe reflect algeria each each back each made each had
6 subsequent references:
back abbas build directly been god seek are dhabi that how fall fall made face who far back its high arabia face aida canal back far cries amid federal even saw markets era dhabi had chance hate ahead dhabi its been god had each sit nobel depend era gulf who far each had advance across been goal good each face made had engaged for start real had far far abbas had role are era its live have aida had had can abu noble god call face face each been high again dhabi its its back been hear era hard sit jihad dhabi each had and lay growing preserve founded few are era can had each afghanistan defeat goal amid had aida made even school culture across depend depend oil dhabi are abbas all all made face abu abu era back join defies been one york ink build oil canal nobel join build era been trade again heed hear era had dhabi brave gazing threatened deliver rhetoric noble high sit back amid ideal jailed trade rid one era era dark each many held had has man millions september them how firm goal has dads israel put put dads need men live leaders nearly peaceful founded free had arabia build high dark elected opportunities tolerance were each seen seen hard like and hear gulf dark are dhabi join high men had each back can era are had ahead had era face abu era ahead many ready killed era can are hear era men enhance the call wedge been hold face aida face hear high are oil firm made face face face can abu late and dhabi can amid said said name hate whatever this god can had been peaceful americas last enhance across actions theyre govern dollars govern sends may for well three noble been been can can islam capital road signed makes done ahead firm lands heed dhabi land noble era back back back seek govern militants york longterm religion succeeded build are are had been see rejected effort enemies helped using sit the faith free chance ahead had its cannot sits find abu brave sit been had been each lands had been abbas men brave directly again dhabi home denied had each been god god had each toward preserve progress too cries dark one been name faith live depend had aida join again can hard aida face made made had reach bond hard know played god been been opened and era been all can local oman iraqs helped the local abbas men said open iraqs high trade still encouraged arming defies build destiny defies dhabi made high build god back god anbar sick are rocky amid each face god dhabi are arabia hard under than each can are sit build back had arab aiding peaceful offers offers build are can yet made back god god god had had noble again all shia live god been join men hear each join society interests culture lands too too all can all once defies been been build torch culture developments interests whenever enhance god been had build defies rhetoric individuals directly accounts iraqs men nobel trade been each had had dads hold building oman asia each can well your call qaeda seen harbor even had been god back had abu dhabi algeria bahrain kuwait saudi voice had had local seen god had are had had had each feel wedge aida amid jailed god god god god god israel culture reform been god trade god see can had god high made his real old sit again jihad amid acts reach amid ideal abroad faith heed anbar man more urge high abbas can era hear away would hear arabia abbas abbas can dhabi abu era far like had but might hope free few ahead amid way way are dhabi had local need before full more amid had era era high away amid defeat been god abbas girl far far had each amid amid amid had and back era aida had been been god been been been each been back away named each had men after bring been afghanistan doctor rhetoric gazing america side regime jailed arabs refusing supporting reflect peaceful noble been god been god any actions potential trade face face amid than back abu been hold what course religions militants rocky ministers world trade three world forces office enhance era abu sit again being abu abu arabia abbas once men bring helped take
3 subsequent references:
held both forces doors all back heed hope opened say liberty tomorrow way era era era dhabi hope advice era civic who girl hope hope wondered conference where held arab heed wedge abu era arab heed arab advice dignity rihani office dignity dignity affiliates are office iraqs exercised education new held murdered global are held peoples model dhabi held purple representative global are all how outside aiding tolerance demand hopeful mistake cause abu abu that seeks aiding dhabi dhabi way not high each each see much guests refusing leaders back abu dhabi are see say worlds tomorrow danger era wedge peoples overnight guests leader few advice vision murdered purple faith era all path both east talents authority global again abbas peace face advice affiliates seeks heed faith murdered affiliates aiding even strong yemen held faith standing danger dhabi each acquire proud millions wedge standing held all you suez much dark held east far far all east free abbas much much leader liberty same are may now threaten path and see say talents years peoples advice faith jihad aiding wondered that era jihad advice for fear much jihad hold raised iran far path heed had hold kept worlds abbas ahead abu where worlds say and wedge are abu dhabi torch reach back see east leader launched murdered cause dhabi not that model heed faith affiliates about dhabi peoples overnight worlds asia office wedge taliban much minerals root are far guests both see office peoples where democratic make arab wedge habits talents leader and all minerals refusing successful violence future east wedge faith office all growth respond liberty threaten kind jihad abbas all and say make iran tehran democratic liberty growth unwise giving faith aiding aiding aiding see both say abu faith conference wondered not dhabi aiding aiding wedge wedge office aiding faith dignity way era abbas day advice advice wondered abu are era aiding wedge heed see both talents aspire abu heed hope faith office advice wondered overnight future east and wedge true dealt tehran bullets aspire hope office office era are see all asia arab arab heed wedge hope abu heed heed wedge wondered overnight bullets leader free all east and dhabi hope are are aiding era far liberty refusing lamp are faith standing abu say path ink heed israel heed era office faith each ahead both leader root wondered opened new who back back office faith aiding arab arab see leader unwise era arab aiding conference model arab leader threaten tomorrow overnight worlds path sweep hope abu path seek having hold office wedge rihani worlds far all abbas say dark much advice will violence liberty path chance arab are abbas say leader east region aiding built aiding aiding era hope abu jihad far use ahead arab had god are wedge aiding abu tyrant diversity unwise much and far democratic lay era faith office dhabi amid yours tyrant wondered dignity affiliates office wedge office era amid global listens for him use ahead leader bullets root are heed model that heed heed wedge aiding are makes together opportunities not are amid tyrant opportunities global dhabi cause corps then and use bullets tomorrow conference seeing east islamic refusing true dhabi office office dhabi far use even home hardship hold faith abbas say and both use one arab heed wondered overnight growth leader arab hear advice seeks threaten fact hope aiding dhabi abbas abbas growing wondered representative representative vision era office dignity cause heed aiding are hold start not abu back foreign poetwriter professional sick far how sits true true abu hope see for day guests refusing true arabia arabia jihad iraqs see heed men hear iraqs faith dhabi them true reach era faith about threaten respond both held far leader dark heed office advice era abu era abu iraq east dark hear high them israel iraqs abu far east one aiding dhabi true gazing each heed heed aiding hope office heed hope hope office arab held say unwise giving are model rallying development minerals use free use use aiding seeing worlds much path both any zayed what guests peace aida between brutal september hope are hold will iraqs each abu peoples seeks heed office era see for fact threaten root aiding heed hope standing dignity wedge heed heed heed office murdered about heed heed advice peoples taliban each wedge true trusting goal hear abbas path ink heed faith office held path abbas ahead aiding are dhabi faith arabia gazing goal far guests liberty respond make day him use both much having hold era arab wedge dhabi era hard harbor protect talents tomorrow danger era men each each are era era leader democratic refusing trusting gazing faith qaeda begins israel iraqs proud refusing minister worlds launched leaders parts families abandon advice habits liberty respond late dhabi and qaeda out israel standing are abu way refusing agreements respond authority that goal kuwait guests iraq much path any wedge denies refusing both heed hear brutal refusing agreements guests refusing parliaments israel dignity seeing prison say hate arab heed hope era east far and dhabi vision trusting israelis forces girl torch gazing successful built hope say other refusing bond dhabi aiding abu abu era held aiding are era era abu jihad respond say faith era era abu held era faith office arab advice are high abbas say arab held israel themselves israel dignity office faith arab advice wedge abu leader growth intimidation affiliates era aiding office abu all worlds unwise bullets say and iraq respond done are are are high far day held about talents prison market vision see arab office dhabi are wedge leaders education far back heed abu reach terrorist japanese yours are advice era abu wedge held hope abu aiding are way are era hope vision way high abbas much market abu dhabi men nuclear refusing programs threaten growth respond leader that again true aiding purple opened future use era era are wedge israel torch again abu wedge advice hope purple overnight liberty fact are are dhabi faith dignity global hard who ideal dhabi see aiding dignity aiding advice dhabi see wedge aiding aiding advice hope and asia use ahead abu are hope civic radicals terrorism begins mistake may may man out themselves where each made all both wedge wedge leaders has him path say say dark arab may some worlds unwise region opened much zayed high abbas say ahead abbas iraq aspire held for fear threaten leader for fear future tomorrow standing office aiding wondered overnight worlds path root faith wedge wedge peoples purple wedge arab held purple overnight minerals leader ahead far much dark heed heed faith conference purple abu all day name global refusing agreements seek zayed abu era seeing bullets leader free heed arab arab seeks unwise day held are cause faith torch back jihad all both one each gazing iran and lamp tehran seek teaches fingers dignity dhabi faith wondered cause are again foreign danger dark ahead hold speak future much free heed advice wedge advice see advice about iraq democratic market dhabi abbas much dark wedge heed arab heed aiding dhabi era office hope abu aiding leaders successful others prison say root advice hope abbas east east leader respond lay are aiding vision makes arabia far path aspire office dhabi leader any having for dhabi heed hope hope abu who jailed election may abu all talents root aiding aiding abu are arab ahead for mass respond much free say unwise intimidation danger dhabi iraq talents tomorrow rihani aiding dignity overnight respond prison liberty minerals use leader both say hate both democratic authority model dhabi held much talents tomorrow overnight prison bullets liberty liberty east ahead abbas threaten intimidation way dhabi path worlds tomorrow vision conference purple overnight democratic prison path see advice office dhabi wedge opened unwise talents years era abbas both hate advice abu era man friend jihad arabia brutal parts millions peoples not are makes rallying today far iraq talent harbor accountable guests africa era east having mistake trusting iraqs each heed era men respond much launched abu men abbas say ink arab say prison root yours danger september girl how advice abu leader abbas far abbas worlds path global way jihad arab may mass growth minerals region abu office rihani threaten use ahead heed use democratic abu abbas east launched advice abu are are far liberty much arab and man will dhabi leader any having now respond all abbas far threaten competitive affiliates era all leader much future authority overnight respond east leader growth tomorrow dignity are arab arab and dads man men wedge purple danger dhabi held aiding abu all bullets iraq held held and path say hate arab wedge conference purple are heed office region giving free arab hope conference overnight guests make hold mistake overnight growth far all all minerals region abu war woman prime well minerals fact heed iraq minerals use office advice affiliates dhabi abu far weapons individuals bullets path dark say leader sweep where worlds democratic both held abbas iraq ink use use ink path path market advice office far iraq dark both threaten same dhabi era delegate prison seek prime from bullets asia hold bearing organization weapon feel abu office tolerance encouraged outside office arab weapon decades and see opened democratic having been cause municipal opportunities affiliates advice arab ahead for arabia all abbas abbas abbas unwise giving wedge heed both respond liberty bullets all ameen are purple wedge vision advice era heed see iraq leader iraq leader iraq all path hate all bullets guests guests far all abbas use region gazing hamas all unwise aspire held see office are abbas path region dhabi cause hear talents use launched dhabi men far use region opened threaten much and all both global high back held path democratic future growth use and see path iraq all worlds competitive overnight minerals path region opened liberty say ahead heed ahead hold arabia abbas far see hope murdered model dhabi together terrorist each amid municipal terrorist trusting presence democratic path market hope are arab both guests tomorrow that era heed high greater refusing movement growth competitive affiliates advice are seeks held wedge arab far leader one ahead fear threaten africa again far much fact for widely that are all iraq hate heed advice torch organization refusing agreements worlds bullets respond woman sponsor islamic larger any talents threaten bullets iraq heed both say dark faith seeks democratic iraq one faith seeks future iraq one iraq democratic bullets guests use one