ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Rives - Performance poet, multimedia artist
Performance artist and storyteller Rives has been called "the first 2.0 poet," using images, video and technology to bring his words to life.

Why you should listen

Part poet, part storyteller, part philosopher, Rives is the co-host of TEDActive as well as a frequent TED speaker. On stage, his poems burst in many directions, exposing multiple layers and unexpected treats: childhood memories, grown-up humor, notions of love and lust, of what is lost forever and of what's still out there waiting to unfold. Chimborazo.

A regular on HBO's Def Poetry Jam, Rives also starred alongside model Bar Refaeli in the 2008 Bravo special Ironic Iconic America, touring the United States on a "roller coaster ride through the eye-popping panorama of American pop culture." Flat pages can't contain his storytelling, even when paper is his medium. The pop-up books he creates for children unfold with surprise: The Christmas Pop-Up Present expands to reveal moving parts, hidden areas and miniature booklets inside. 

His latest project—the Museum of Four in the Morning—is an ode to a time that may well be part of a global conspiracy. In a good way.  

More profile about the speaker
Rives | Speaker | TED.com
TED2008

Rives: A story of mixed emoticons

Rives: la poesia degli emoticons

Filmed:
1,901,865 views

Il poeta Rives si cimenta nella più antica delle storie... raccontata nel più moderno dei modi.
- Performance poet, multimedia artist
Performance artist and storyteller Rives has been called "the first 2.0 poet," using images, video and technology to bring his words to life. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:21
This meanssi intende, "I'm smilingsorridente."
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Questo significa "Sto sorridendo".
00:24
So does that.
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E anche questo.
00:27
This meanssi intende "mousetopo."
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Questo significa "Topo”.
00:29
"CatGatto."
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“Gatto”
00:32
Here we have a storystoria.
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E questa é una storia.
00:34
The startinizio of the storystoria, where this meanssi intende guy,
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Questo é un ragazzo,
00:37
and that is a ponytailcoda di cavallo on a passer-bypassante.
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e questa è la coda di cavallo di una passante.
00:44
Here'sQui è where it happensaccade.
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Ecco dove succede.
00:47
These are when.
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Ed ecco quando.
00:49
This is a cassettecassetta tapenastro the girlragazza putsmette into her cassette-tapenastro a cassetta playergiocatore.
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Questa è una cassetta che la ragazza mette nel mangiacassette ogni giorno.
00:52
She wearsindossa it everyogni day.
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Questa è una cassetta che la ragazza mette nel mangiacassette ogni giorno.
00:54
It's not consideredconsiderato vintagevintage --
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Non è vintage, solo che certa musica deve suonare in un certo modo.
00:55
she just likespiace certaincerto musicmusica to soundsuono a certaincerto way.
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Non è vintage, solo che certa musica deve suonare in un certo modo.
00:57
Look at her postureposizione; it's remarkablenotevole.
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Guardate che camminata: é perché lei fa danza.
00:59
That's because she dancesdanze.
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Guardate che camminata: é perché lei fa danza.
01:01
Now he, the guy, takes all of this in, figuringcapire,
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Il ragazzo valuta il tutto e si chiede:
01:03
"HonestlyOnestamente, geezGeez, what are my chancespossibilità?"
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“Onestamente, quali sono le mie chance …?”
01:07
(LaughterRisate)
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(Risate)
01:08
And he could say, "Oh my God!"
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Lui potrebbe dire “Oh, mio Dio!”
01:11
or "I heartcuore you!"
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o "Mi piaci!"
01:13
"I'm laughingche ride out loudforte."
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“Mi fai morir dal ridere!”,
01:15
"I want to give you a hugabbraccio."
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“Voglio abbracciarti”
01:17
But he comesviene up with that, you know.
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Ma ecco con cosa se ne esce:
01:19
He tellsdice her, "I'd like to hand-paintmano-vernice your portraitritratto on a coffeecaffè mugboccale."
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"Vorrei farti un ritratto su una tazza da caffé,
01:23
(LaughterRisate)
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(Risate)
01:25
Put a crabgranchio insidedentro it.
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metterci dentro un granchio,
01:27
AddAggiungere some wateracqua.
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aggiungerci dell’acqua
01:29
SevenSette differentdiverso saltssali.
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e 7 diversi tipi di sale".
01:31
He meanssi intende he's got this suddenimprovviso notionnozione to standstare in piedi on dryasciutto landsbarcare,
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Intende dire che all'improvviso ha l'impressione di trovarsi sulla terra ferma
01:34
but just panhandlePanhandle at the oceanoceano.
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a chiedere l'elemosina all'oceano.
01:36
He saysdice, "You look like a mermaidSirena, but you walkcamminare like a waltzValzer."
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E dice: “Sembri una sirena, ma cammini come se ballassi il valzer."
01:42
And the girlragazza goesva, "Wha'Wha'?"
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E lei: "COSA???"
01:47
So, the guy repliesrisposte, "Yeah, I know, I know.
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Così lui risponde: "Sì, lo so, lo so...
01:49
I think my heartbeatbattito cardiaco mightpotrebbe be the MorseMorse codecodice for inappropriatenon appropriato.
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il cuore mi fa scherzi, il battito sembra il codice morse per "inappropriato",
01:52
At leastmeno, that's how it seemssembra.
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il cuore mi fa scherzi, il battito sembra il codice morse per "inappropriato".
01:54
I'm like a juniorJunior varsityVarsity cheerleadercheerleader sometimesa volte --
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E a volte sembro un ragazzo pon-pon,
01:58
for swearingparolacce, awkwardimbarazzante silencessilenzi, and very simplesemplice rhymerima schemesschemi.
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per gli improperi, i silenzi imbarazzati, e le rime da quattro soldi.
02:03
Right now, talkingparlando to you, I'm not even really a guy.
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E adesso, mentre parlo con te, non sono nemmeno più una persona.
02:08
I'm a monkeyscimmia --
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Sono una scimmia,
02:10
(LaughterRisate) --
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(Risate)
02:11
blowingsoffiando kissesbaci
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che bacia ...
02:13
at a butterflyfarfalla.
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... una farfalla.
02:15
But I'm still suggestingsuggerendo you and I should meetincontrare.
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Ma insisto, penso che noi dovremmo darci un appuntamento.
02:18
First, soonpresto, and then a lot.
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Uno subito, e poi mooolti altri.
02:23
I'm thinkingpensiero the southwestsud-ovest cornerangolo of 5thesimo and 42ndND at noonmezzogiorno tomorrowDomani,
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All’angolo a sud ovest tra la quinta e la 42esima, domani a mezzogiorno,
02:27
but I'll stayrestare untilfino a you showmostrare up, ponytailcoda di cavallo or not.
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me ne starò lì finché non ti vedrò, con o senza coda di cavallo.
02:31
HellInferno, ponytailcoda di cavallo aloneda solo.
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Diamine, anche la coda di cavallo mi basterebbe.
02:33
I don't know what elsealtro to tell you.
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Non so che altro dirti.
02:35
I got a pencilmatita you can borrowprendere in prestito.
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Posso prestarti una matita.
02:37
You can put it in your phoneTelefono."
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Mettila nel telefono, se vuoi."
02:40
But the girlragazza does not budgeBudge, does not smileSorriso, does not frownaggrottare le sopracciglia.
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Lei non fa una piega. Non mostra nè gioia, nè fastidio.
02:48
She just saysdice, "No thank you."
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Dice solo: “No, grazie. Sai....
02:52
You know?
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Dice solo: “No grazie. Sai....
02:56
[ "i don't need 2 writeScrivi it down." ]
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….non mi serve scriverlo." (Applausi)
03:02
(ApplauseApplausi)
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Translated by Michele Gianella
Reviewed by Francesca Maternini

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Rives - Performance poet, multimedia artist
Performance artist and storyteller Rives has been called "the first 2.0 poet," using images, video and technology to bring his words to life.

Why you should listen

Part poet, part storyteller, part philosopher, Rives is the co-host of TEDActive as well as a frequent TED speaker. On stage, his poems burst in many directions, exposing multiple layers and unexpected treats: childhood memories, grown-up humor, notions of love and lust, of what is lost forever and of what's still out there waiting to unfold. Chimborazo.

A regular on HBO's Def Poetry Jam, Rives also starred alongside model Bar Refaeli in the 2008 Bravo special Ironic Iconic America, touring the United States on a "roller coaster ride through the eye-popping panorama of American pop culture." Flat pages can't contain his storytelling, even when paper is his medium. The pop-up books he creates for children unfold with surprise: The Christmas Pop-Up Present expands to reveal moving parts, hidden areas and miniature booklets inside. 

His latest project—the Museum of Four in the Morning—is an ode to a time that may well be part of a global conspiracy. In a good way.  

More profile about the speaker
Rives | Speaker | TED.com

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