Tweeter, Tweeter, Little Star: How I Wonder What You Are
TRANSCEND MEMBERS, 9 Apr 2012
Anthony Judge – TRANSCEND Media Service
Produced in a period when use of Twitter has become ever more significant in political processes and democratic protest.
This is a simple adaptation of the widely popular English nursery rhyme Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, whose original lyrics are from an early nineteenth-century English poem, The Star (1806) by Jane Taylor. The relevance to Twitter and tweeters — and the process of tweeting — has been recognized by a number of bloggers who seemingly have chosen only to adapt the first line as it appears here. This is therefore an adaptation of the complete poem. The original text is from the Wikipedia entry, which also offers an audio version — and indicates the subsequent use of the title, notably in films. A commentary follows below.
Tweeter, tweeter, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Tweeter, tweeter, all the night.
Then the traveller in the dark,
Thanks you for your tiny spark,
He could not see which way to go,
If you did not tweeter so.
In the dark blue sky you keep,
And often through my curtains peep,
For you never shut your eye,
Till the sun is in the sky.
As your bright and tiny spark,
Lights the traveller in the dark.
Though I know not what you are,
Tweeter, tweeter, little star.
Tweeter, tweeter, little star.
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Tweeter, tweeter, little star.
How I wonder what you are.
How I wonder what you are.
Sociopolitical implications: The role of Twitter in politics has been variously recognized, as noted for example, by The Economist (Sweet to tweet: Twitter makes politicians seem more accessible, 6 May 2010):
PLEASE CONTINUE READING THE PAPER IN THE ORIGINAL – laetusinpraesens.org
This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 9 Apr 2012.
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