Development: the Book Nine prototype was funded by a 2005-2006 grant from the University of Texas at Austin's Liberal Arts Instructional Technology Services (LAITS). The interface design is informed by our own experiences teaching poetry as well as cognitive research demonstrating that comprehension increases when students read and hear a text sequentially or simultaneously. The audio recordings provide dramatic rather than strictly metrical renditions of Milton's verse.
Textual Note: We are using the 1674 second edition as our copy-text. The lineation, however, corresponds to the 1688 fourth edition at a ratio of 1:2 (17 lines to 34 lines). We have modernized spelling and punctuation. Elision has been retained when necessary for the meter.
Development: the Book One audiotext was funded by a 2006-2007 grant from LAITS.
Textual Note: We are using the 1674 second edition as our copy-text. The lineation corresponds to the 1674 second edition at a ratio of 1:2 (17 lines to 34 lines). We have modernized spelling and punctuation. Elision has been retained when necessary for the meter. The frontispiece and title page images are from John Geraghty's facsimile project.
Development: The Book Two audiotext was funded by a 2006-2007 grant from LAITS.
Textual Note: We are using the 1674 second edition as our copy-text. The lineation corresponds to the 1674 second edition at a ratio of 1:2 (17 lines to 34 lines). We have modernized spelling and punctuation. Elision has been retained when necessary for the meter.
Configurability:For the projector versions, which can be obtained from the download page, users can substitute their own mp3 audio and XML timings.
The audiotexts have four modes, each of which offers a distinct visual engagement with the poem.
Text-only Mode: displays our modernized reading text on both sides. The Book One and Book Two audiotexts import this text from an external document (pl#.txt) that can be edited with any text editor.
Annotation Mode displays our (somewhat minimalist) notes in parallel with the reading text. The audiotexts import their annotations from an external document (pl#_annos.txt) that can be edited with any text editor. If this document is renamed or removed from the download folder, the audiotext will not be able to import the annotations. The Flash movie file (pl#.swf, pl#.app, or pl#.exe) can be renamed but not removed from the download folder. This folder can be renamed and/or moved anywhere within the user's domain.
Comparison Mode: displays a transcript of the 1674 second edition text in parallel with the reading text. This is not a diplomatic transcript, in that we have mirrored the lineation of the reading text. But unlike most diplomatic transcripts, we have used a character set that includes a long s and ligatures. This replica of a 17th century font is Jeff Lee's JSL Ancient.
Your Notes Mode: the audiotexts create a shared local object file ( pl#_notes.sol), also known as a "Flash cookie," on the user's computer. When the user saves notes, they are stored in this file, from which they are then imported for each new session. By default, the Flash player sets the maximum size of .sol files to 100kb, so we have limited user notes to 2000 characters (roughly 300 words) per page. This system has several other limitations:
These limitations can be combatted by finding out where the Flash player has created the .sol file, copying it, and storing the copy elsewhere as a backup and/or for use on other computers. The following guide will help you locate the .sol file based on your operating system:
Here are three other things to keep in mind:
Version Change Log: