Quantifying the Qualitative: An Empirical Poetic Approach

Abstract

Two studies are described which take a psychometric approach to a qualitative phenomenon. A computational analysis of poetry was conducted. Using a lexicon programme, patterns emerged generally supporting the idea of a poet's ever-changing thematic preoccupations. Using a multimedia educational software package, presenting the poetical phrase accompanied by visual stimuli had a substantial effect on the appreciation of the poet's meaning. These novel methodological approaches might stimulate further work in this area.