mercifulserpent

“I Have Always Confused Desire With Apocalypse”, Daphne Gottlieb

We met over a small
earthquake. Now, my knees

shake whenever
you come around

and I've noticed your hand
has a slight tremor.

why can't the english teach their children how to speak?

Daphne Gottlieb

Higgins: I can't turn your soul on.
Eliza: Have you tried?

Higgins: Leave me these feelings.
Eliza: Can you elaborate on that?

Higgins: You can take away the voice and the face.
Eliza: Oh, I can take away the voice and the face.

Higgins: They are not you.
Eliza: Would you like it if they were not not I?

Higgins: I care for life, for humanity.
Eliza: Can you elaborate on that?

Higgins: You are a part of it that has come my way.
Eliza: Why do you say your way?

Higgins: What more can you or anyone ask?
Eliza: Does that question interest you?

Higgins: You call me a brute.
Eliza: Oh, I call you a brute.

Higgins: You were a fool.
Eliza: Oh, I was a fool.

Higgins: I think a woman fetching a man's slippers is a disgusting sight.
Eliza: Can you elaborate on that?

Higgins: Did I ever fetch your slippers?
Eliza: Can you elaborate on that?

Higgins: I think a good deal more of you for throwing them in my face.
Eliza: Why do you say your face?

Higgins: No use slaving for me and then saying you want to be cared for.
Eliza: You are being a bit negative.

Higgins: Who cares for a slave?
Eliza: Please go on.

Higgins: If you come back, come back for the sake of good fellowship.
Eliza: Do you wish that I come back for the sake of good fellowship?

Higgins: You'll get nothing else.
Eliza: Please go on.

Higgins: You've had a thousand times as much out of me as I have out of you.
Eliza: Do you wish to have a thousand times as you have out of me?

Higgins: I'll slam the door in your silly face.
Eliza: What about your own silly face?

Higgins: Making life means trouble.*
Eliza: Please. Go on.**


* Higgins' dialogue from a speech by Henry Higgins in Act V of George Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion".

** Eliza's dialogue was generated by feeding Higgins' speech (as cited above) into an early "artificial intelligence" script by the name of Eliza. The program was written in 1966 by Joseph Weizenbaum. The program parodies a Rogerian therapist's demeanor by repeating many of the "patient's" statements back. So, a statement such as, "I feel sick today" would be responded to by Eliza as, "Why do you say you feel sick today?"