Vast databases of digitized texts are now available to be analyzed, but the problem of teasing out meaning or themes from a text read by a machine remains unsolved. A related interdisciplinary project originated by Joshua Enslen (Associate Professor of Portuguese) is currently underway at USMA, whose team includes myself, Ledlie Klosky (Professor of Civil Engineering), and Cadet Emma Dugas.
Composed by Gonçalves Dias in 1843, “Canção do Exílio” [Song of Exile] is the most imitated poem in Brazilian history. Since its publication, the poem has been imitated and parodied hundreds of times. “Canção do Exílio” is even quoted in the lines of Brazil’s national anthem.
The cultural significance of this project is summarized in the following excerpt from a recent conference talk by Joshua Enslen: "The possibility of a dynamic associative network wherein these variations may be manipulated, compared and visualized offers the potential for new insights not only into our understand-ing of Brazilian literature, but Brazilian society as a whole." Read More
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