Deaf Poetry

[Adrian]

I saw this subject on another board and found it fascinating. People who lose their hearing in later life would presumably retain their, dare I say it, ear for poetry, but do the profoundly deaf (from birth/childhood) write and experience poetry differently from people who aren't deaf? I mean, one of the most used terms is voice.

An illustration in ASL (American Sign Language) is this poem by Carl Schroeder, White Flowers Blooming

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0F32n-OYM14"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0F32n-OYM14" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

that might perhaps "translate" as

(I imagine?)
Flowers blooming
White, expanding
Beautiful white blooming flowers
(and I am?) happy
In spoilers in case you want to "read" it yourself and try to write the words.

The URL is here if my fancy way of embedding a Youtube video doesn't work

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F32n-OYM14

Interesting article in Poetry Magazine (http://www.poetrymagazine.org/magazine/0505/comment_171072.html) about the subject.

[Hazel]

Sent this on to my deaf parents, Adrian, to see what they make of it. Closest I have seen to this was a translator at a Queen tribute gig signing along with the lyrics!

The embed didn't show at first but while I am replying it shows in your message below.

ETA - shows now. You fancy pants.

[Adrian]

I think it's only deaf people who can really answer this, Hazel, so I'd be interested in their views. Are they deaf from birth or did they lose their hearing later in life?