Exactitude

In the same way that Calvino uses lingering to emphasize quickness, he uses vagueness to emphasize exactitude. Poetry can be very vague and open to interpretation, yet poetry is filled with purpose and clear imagery. Calvino does not define “exactitude” as absolute, but he defines it as text or images with purpose. William Carlos Williams’ poem “The Crimson Cyclamen” exemplifies Calvino’s thoughts of exactitude. Through the poem’s creativity and its memorable image of a flower, “The Crimson Cyclamen” illustrates text with purpose.

Williams directs his text with purpose, but conversation and action should be likewise directed. How a person presents himself defines his character. It has been said that actions speak louder than words, so it is important to make sure that a person is acting in the way that they wanted to be described by the words of others. Calvino writes of literature, but I think that his lectures may also be applied to other aspects of life.

Exactitude can be found in C. S. Lewis' writings as well. There is a scene in The Horse and His Boy where Aravis, a young girl who is running away from home just like Shasta, tells the story of her adventure thus far. She is careful of the precision in which that she weaves her tale. Lewis writes:

"At last Bree said, 'And now, Tarkeena [Aravis], tell us your story. And don't hurry it - I'm feeling comfortable now.'
"Aravis immediately began, sitting quite still and using a rather different tone and style from her usual one. For in Calormen, story-telling (whether the stories are true or made up) is a thing you're taught, just as English boys and girls are taught essay writing. The difference is that people want to hear the stories, whereas I never heard of anyone who wanted to read the essays" (34-35).

The exactitude about which Calvino writes is not only addressed to poetry, but all facets of life. Aravis was conscious of the manner in which she spoke, her posture, and the words that she chose in order to tell her story. By employing exactitude, one increases purpose in writing. Electronic literature may seem arbitrary in nature, but similarly to poetry, E-Lit demonstrates exactitude through its poetic form and use of image. "Landscapes" by Bill Marsh is a great example of exactitude in E-Lit. Here is the URL: http://collection.eliterature.org/1/works/marsh__landscapes.html. This piece of electronic literature is precise in its choice of words, yet vague in its interpretation. When writing any piece of literature, purpose and precision must be included.