Remix in Literature

For hundreds of years remixes have driven this society to what we now call remix culture, as many encourage the redefining of existing materials. Edwards defines a remix as something that “builds upon or re-purposes already existing material” (Edwards xix). We see remixes being created in the media, with artists, and even writers. Remixes are also a product of many scholars getting influenced and inspired by each other’s work, resulting in the creation of a new piece of work.  But within any society or culture there if conflict, and we definitely see that in the remix culture where many argue that a work of art is plagiarism, instead of being a remix. This has even driven a need for copyright laws but there is a vast majority that looks at remixes as their own category of art, as many believe that altering someone’s ideas influences more ideas or a new creative piece of work.

Our society is continually changing as new ideas flow and drive our remix culture, but still lies the biggest issue of remix being labeled as plagiarism. An example I am familiar with is “The Grasmere Journals” written by Dorothy Wordsworth, which her brother William then remixed and published a poem based off of her observations, “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”. April 1802 was the date Dorothy wrote at the top of her journal that influenced her brother William to write this famous poem, and that also shows how far back remix can go.  As defined in the textbook, Randall states, “plagiarism is unethical because it contravenes the fundamental right to the exclusive enjoyment of and control over one’s property, either real or symbolic.” (Randall 16). In her journals, Dorothy wrote this famous line “I never saw daffodils so beautiful. They grew about the mossy stones about and about them, some rested their heads upon these stones as on a pillow for weariness and the rest tossed and reeled and danced...” (Wordsworth 85), after seeing such a vivid and picturesque scene. She was able to capture the beauty around and made sure to include every detail.

These journals were more of her daily observations, than a diary because she never wrote down personal feelings and anything that really affected her emotionally. This makes me believe that her journals were a tool for her brother to be inspired by as she never published any of her work or even expected it to be published. Women did not get their work published during their era and even had to use fake male names if they wanted be published. This is more reason for William to borrow the ideas from her journal and even recreated the scene from the famous daffodil line in his poem. William then publishes a poem centered around daffodils but remixing the excerpt of the journal into his own piece of work. This was not a case of “literary theft” (Randall 15) as William redefined the story and made it seem as he was all alone and not with the group of people who was actually there.