Coming into writing late in life with no background makes it difficult for me to appreciate different poetic expressions. Surrealistic poetry is especially daunting. Friends suggest visualizing the imagery, but my mind can’t react quickly enough and I sink under the deluge of words. Ask the surrealists and they’ll say their poems are whatever you want them to be. I walk away feeling a little silly. Questioning artists for meaning of their work is like asking about the ingredients and nutrition facts in a cookie. It doesn’t help me in appreciating the nuance of the product.
For one thing, the mind—that stubborn, controlling, egotistical blob—does not want to let go of preconditioned bias. But recently I found a way to trick it. Instead of listening to the words, I listen to the rhythm and sound of the poem. The music in these poetry is the catalyst that allows me to immerse in them with awe and wonder. I am held afloat by their juxtaposition. I ride their waves until they bring me ashore. It’s all in the performance, and they often leave me breathless.
A Surrealist Sonnet
I seek terrain by Paul Cezanne,
and swelter under Van Gogh moon.
I see a god by Paul Gaughin
as red Picasso’s fill the room.
A girl, red with bright white lips,
stands snared in ivory that is blue.
She sings a lullaby to ships
that makes the starry sky change hue.
There is a white shark in the garden.
What drove it from the woven sea?
There is a Dali in the garden.
Pluck its gypsy eyes like posies.
Be cautious of its mouth of thorns.
Like the mid-wife, pay heed to bees.
Robert Motherwell defined surrealism as “creation without any a priori moral and aesthetic consideration.”
So then you can use rhythm and dynamics in delivery? How much of that can you use before the words lose some of their meaning? Or is monotone more applicable to conveying a sort of meaning? Not being a poet I am just wondering.
That’s just it. Forget meaning. A good surrealist poet can work up a storm with word sounds. We did a taping of Dale Jensen yesterday. He totally blew me away. I’ll let you know when it is up on the internet.