Week 4: Surrealist Artist: Salvador Dalí

   

     In thinking about what Surrealist artist I wanted to do for this particular posting, I found myself gravitating towards choosing Salvador Dalí as I remember someone doing a presentation on him in the past for which I became very intrigued. Because of this, I thought that this would be the perfect time for me to explore Salvador Dalí myself and learn more about his life as a Surrealist artist while at the same time analyzing one of his most famous and widely known Surrealist paintings, The Persistence of Memory.

     In looking up some information about Salvador Dalí on the web, it became apparent that he was an artist that stemmed away from the typical artistic ideals as his art illustrated his own ideas, thoughts and opinions. With this, he was not a follower in regards to the Surrealist movement as he did not conform himself to one particular style but rather experimented with a wide range of different themes. His desire to create art that was in its own way captivating and compelling was seen through a wide spectrum of forms as he worked in all media which included paintings of oils and watercolors, drawings, graphics, sculptures, photographs, films, performance pieces, etc. (thedali.org). In realizing that he did not bind himself to being only one type of artist confirms that he was an artist who was constantly growing and evolving.
     Although Dalí experimented with many different styles and themes throughout his time as a Surrealist artist, one of the most reoccurring themes he explored was the subconscious mind through which the concept of dreams captivates and overtakes most of his art. In learning that when Dalí was a teenager he was fascinated with the ideals and concepts of Sigmund Freud, it became obvious that Freud seemed to have left a big impact on Dalí as he uses this subconscious concept throughout most of the pieces of his work (simplycharly). Although Freud played a substantial role in how Dalí became an artist, Dalí was also heavily influenced by the works of Paris Surrealists who were also in touch with the subconscious mind as they tended to paint images that did not have a direct, definitive purpose (simplycharly). With this, Dalí as well as these Surrealist artists did not hide the fact that much of the imagery found in this art came directly from hallucinations as drugs and dreams were usually the driving forces behind these unusual statements (simplycharly). Overall, it is apparent that despite Dalí’s desire to not be a conformist in Surrealistic art, he did use a theme that was prevalent throughout this movement which gave him the ability to go beyond his limits and create one of the most famous paintings of all time.
     In looking up information about the painting The Persistence of Memory or also known as La Persistencia de la Memoria, it became obvious as to why this particular painting is so famous. When I first came across this painting, I became captivated right away through its unique formation of strange objects on the canvas as well as the randomness of the entire scenery in general. Although it may be deceiving to some people, I found this particular painting intriguing as it highlights the subconscious style Dalí liked to use. In learning that this particular painting is oil on canvas, it is obvious that the intense colors used and the shading of the objects are features that help to emphasize the strange objects that are at the focal point of the painting.
     It is obvious that there are several different forms of timepieces in the picture as there are three clocks and a pocket watch in the foreground. The interesting part about these figures of time though is that they are in an unusual form as they seem to be melting, drooping and folding in ways that one would not ever see in the real world. For example, one clock is melting away on a tree branch while the other two seem to be melting on unfamiliar objects. With having these objects melting, it contradicts the everyday experience as in reality they would be firm and solid. From this, it alludes to the idea that Dalí is connecting these timepieces to the subconscious, dreamlike state of mind (simplycharly). In regards to this concept Dalí may be portraying the idea that time is irrelevant in the subconscious state of mind where dreams overrule time’s importance (thedaliorg). Along with this idea, it is interesting that there is one watch out of the four that seems to be completely normal as it is not deformed in any way. Even though it appears to be normal, it still has an interesting aspect to it as it is covered in red ants perhaps alluding to the idea that these ants are taking over and destroying it. This could suggest that in the subconscious state, time can decay or die as well (simplycharly). In the end, it seems as if Dalí may have purposely deformed these timepieces in order to captivate the irrelevance of time that exists during sleep as “when we one is asleep, or not conscious, the time does not persist, only memories do” (authenticsociety).
     Although the timepieces are the focal points in the foreground of this painting, there is another object that captivates the viewer’s eyes. In the middle of the painting there is a strange figure lying on its side for which has the same melting characteristic as the watches. Although it is difficult to interpret what the figure is, at first glance it looks like a distorted human face. It appears to be a face because there seems to be long eyelashes, one eyebrow and a nose on the left side of it which suggests that it is only the half of someone’s face. Although I am not entirely sure whose face it may be, it connects to the overall subconscious theme that is present in this painting as this object is very strange and would not be seen in reality but rather in a dream.
     Another interesting aspect of this painting is the interesting choice for a background as it seems to be contradicting the foreground. Considering the foreground seems to depict the subconscious state as there are very strange deformed objects, the background is completely opposite as it portrays what one would see in reality. The background seems to be of a surreal place as there is a beach that has cliffs adorning its side. In learning that Dalí grew up in Catalonia, Spain along its beaches, I began thinking that this peculiar background may mimic the type of picturesque landscape Dalí constantly saw when he grew up as many of his works are known to share this similar aspect (thedaliorg). Whatever his motives may be for choosing this particular background, it seems to compare the familiar and the unfamiliar as the later is a result of the subconscious state of mind that evokes unique and strange images one would normally not see.
     Overall, this particular painting seems to captivate the conflicting sides of reality that Salvador Dalí tended to focus on while creating pieces of art. The fact that Dalí creates a very untraditional painting that produces an uncomfortable feeling for the viewer only confirms that he was not bounded to or limited to following a specific theme or style. Although many different interpretations can be made about this painting, it is obvious that Dalí created a very fascinating and unique painting that portrays his confidence as an artist to create something that is unlike the rest.

Sources Used:

http://www.authenticsociety.com/about/ThePersistenceOfMemory_Dali

http://simplycharly.wetpaint.com/page/Analysis+of+The+Persistence+of+Memory+by+Salvador+Dali

http://www.dali-gallery.com/html/analyses/1931_06a.htm

http://thedali.org/history/biography.html

Project #1: Generative Systems and SPAM Texts- Final (after corrections)

Dear loving wife,
     You have my love which does not form meaning. So, this is my letter d' affection to this spouse of the spouse for which I hope to prove my love. You always look like a million buckaroos. You are as dazzling as a pregnant cow attired in electrical sockets. You are more beautiful than a bouquet of fossils Madam! Timepieces could not even know your age. In your presence even my shadow can acquire the sensation of touch.
     Your head! So precisely, fits into the smallest of diameters. Your face is like a perfectly shaven tennis ball that can bend even the most anorexic mirror into a sensuous state of muscular spasms. Your hair sends forth a sheen image of a wounded man streaming about bronze bandage gauze from the highest church steeple. I cry for the softness of your earlobes. May this divine pair of lobes ever flap about my neck like a thousand wooden pigeons fleeing the local sawmill. You wear your ears well, true to the testament of loose fitting flesh.
     Your eyes! How can I help but use your eyes as a means for self-asphyxiation? They glow like naked blueberries burning in the sun as many deep and full shades of blue as a healing bruise upon an injured forelimb can show. Your eyes are like spheres of transparent glue filled with shimmering skies. Your extensive, protruding eyelashes foster my libido into a state of disbelief for Roman Catholicism. These eyelashes would certainly compel even a wayward band of masticating cod into a feverish frenzy. Your eyebrows atop these eyelashes are as verdantly forested as the woodworms of my most somber dreams.
     Your mouth! Is as incredibly soft as liquid being poured from an aquamarine vase of solidifying flesh. This mouth makes my head beat faster and my heart pound slower. Your enormous crimson lips I wish to kiss every third Monday of the month. The froth of hair streaming above your lips is a sublime mustache as it resembles the ocean's white foam. So charmingly perfect, the perspiration on your upper lip is like a teardrop on a popsicle.
     Your body! Oh how it inflicts me with wounds of paranoia and desire. Just fighting for the liberty to touch you is nothing ever scientifically explored before. Your seduction avoids extinction. If you were a camel your humps would be esoterically bald from overuse. In your mere presence not even a battalion of lawyers could pass the New York State driving exam. How long must I suffer and deal with your perpetual undergarments?
     Your intelligence! It can ferment meat without the need of oxygen. The expanse of your intelligence is so large no universe could ever fill. It can attain the grand summation of molecular motion at absolute zero. Your spark of intelligence can be seen in your blinking eyes and is like the glow visible from the teeth of an electrocuted axe-murderess. Even beauty and grace are perplexed in contemplating your multidimensional brilliance.
     My sweet woman who I may only temporarily love, I have excreted my thoughts and my desires for you in this confession. My love for you is strangely distinct. If I were to combine your blood, toes, and hair, it might not be you, but it would be enough for my basic desires.

                            Sincerely,
                            A spouse that has sacrificed his sanity

Blog Post #3: Poets, Performance and Identity: Louis Aragon

I'll Reinvent the Rose for You: Louis Aragon

I’ll reinvent the rose for you
For you are that rose which cannot be described
These few words at least in the order proper to her ritual
That rose which only words distant from roses can describe
The way it is with the ecstatic cry and the terrible sadness which it translates
From the stars of pleaure above love’s deep abyss
I will reinvent for youth rose of adoring fingers
Which create a nave as they interlace but whose petals then suddenly fall away
I will reinvent for you the rose beneath the balconies
Of lovers whose only beds are their arms

The rose at the heart of sculpted stone figures dead without benefit of confession
The rose of a peasant blown to bits by a landmine in his field
The scarlet scent of a letter that has been “discovered”
In which nothing’s addressed to me neither the insult nor the compliment

Some rendezvous to which no one has come

An entire army in flight on a very windy day

A maternal footstep before prison-gates

A man’s song at siesta-time beneath the olive trees

A cock-fight in a mist-enshrouded countryside
The rose of a soldier cut off from his own home country

I’ll reinvent for you my rose as many roses
As there are diamonds in the waters of the seas
As there are past centuries adrift in the dust of the earth’s atmosphere
As there are dreams in just one childish head

As there can be reflections in one tear

           

          In looking up some Surrealist poets on the web, I decided that it would be interesting to focus on Louis Aragon and one of his specific poems. Upon looking up information about Aragon, I learned that he was introduced to the avant-garde movements of Dadaism first and then Surrealism second through André Breton. In eventually working with Breton and then Philippe Soupault, the three founded the Surrealist review Littérature (kirjasto). This particular magazine scorned all of the bourgeois values that many intellectuals saw destroyed by the horrors of war (kirjasto). With this, many of Aragon’s earlier collections of poems portray the beliefs of Dadaism in that it is necessary to critique and destroy traditional institutions and values (kirjasto). Apart from these Dadaist views, Aragon began portraying characteristics of the Surrealists in many of his later pieces of art as this movement began to take over when André Breton came to the forefront. Surrealism was influenced by the psychoanalytic theories of Sigmund Freud for which had the purpose to create artistic works that highlighted spontaneous outburst from the unconscious mind (kirjasto). These spontaneous outbursts were a means to purposely bypass the normative and conditioned modes that modern society imposes on individuals and instead focus on and show the real, strange persona of someone (kirjasto). Along with working with these unconscious outbursts, Surrealist artists often focused on dreams in their pieces of work as they, “focused on visual imagery from the subconscious mind to create art without the intention of logical comprehensibility” (Surrealism.org).With this, it is obvious that Surrealism extended beyond the means and goals of Dadaism in the sense that it did not seem to focus on critiquing modern’s society issues but rather to create a new form of art that went against the traditional normative standards as its desire to stand out was apparent.

In looking up information about Louis Aragon as a Surrealist poet, it was insightful to learn about his life as an artist when I began analyzing a specific poem of his called, I’ll Reinvent the Rose for You. In learning that he worked with Surrealist artists such as the founder André Breton, I thought that this would influence almost every piece of work he created from that point on. In reality though, it seems that most of Aragon’s work that has been translated into English are pieces that do not really reflect any Surrealism influences but rather highlight aspects of the war or the political movements taking place at the time. Because of this, I chose this particular poem because I liked it and thought it depicted love and the sacrifices one would make for someone they love in a new and unique way. In first glancing over this poem I thought it would be somewhat easy to interpret as its language was very normal and the words were not too complicated. Considering I tend to enjoy poems that are not too far out there but rather have a general theme that is conveyed through great imagery and metaphors, I thought that this poem would work well for me.

In looking at the first stanza, it seems as if there is a specific topic, a rose, for which Aragon uses as the focal point for how the rest of the poem unravels. Although I am not sure whether or not the rose does actually signify a rose, I believe that it is a metaphor for something else. It seems as if the rose acts as a signifier for something that is much more complex as this word is used throughout the entire poem. With this, I believe that the rose is a metaphor for love and the narrator uses it as a means to show his feelings and emotions to someone specific. I interpreted this from the first two lines, ‘I’ll reinvent the rose for you/For you are that rose which cannot be described’ as these lines seem to imply that the intentional audience, most likely a woman, is so important to this narrator that he has a desire to reinvent love in order to prove to her that she means the world to him and deserves the best. Throughout this first stanza, the narrator seems to use imagery by having different descriptions of how he wants to show his love. This is apparent especially in the last two lines, “I will reinvent for you the rose beneath the balconies/Of lovers whose only beds are their arms.” I interpreted from these two lines that the narrator is relating his love to the scenes of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet as he wants to reinvent the love that was seen when Romeo confessed his love and desire for Juliet beneath her balcony. It seems that the narrator is using imagery here as he is citing a specific instance such as this traditional love story in order to help portray his love as he hopes to change what love is so that it becomes more special to the woman he loves.

 In the second stanza of this poem, the narrator seems to make a drastic change in regards to tone as he begins discussing the ways in which a rose, or love, can die. This part was very confusing to me as the poem’s tone seemed to switch from being upbeat and optimistic to now having a pessimistic view on love and its effects on someone who is in love but may not be able to express it or feel it in return. This pessimistic view was seen through the lines, “The rose at the heart of sculpted stone figures dead without benefit of confession/The rose of a peasant blown to bits by a landmine in his field.” I thought that at this particular point in the poem, the idea that love is not permanent is portrayed as the first line seems to depict that a rose, or love, can die very easily if someone does not show their real feelings and desires. This was apparent even more through the specific phrase ‘dead without benefit of confession’ as it confirms that love will unfortunately die if one is incapable of confessing their feelings outwardly. This death of love is seen again in the following line as it portrays an example of where love dies as it mentions a peasant whose love is blown to bits by a landmine. I interpreted that the word landmine is used metaphorically here to represent something else that prevented the peasant from being able to show his true love which in turn resulted in the death of it. Overall, this particular stanza seems to purposely attest to and question the previous heartfelt, optimistic stanza in order to prove that love can die so easily if it is not handled with care.

In the final stanza, the tone seems to switch back to the happy, optimistic, perspective on love that was apparent in the first stanza. It seems that this final stanza seems to confirm what the narrator has been alluding to all along in regards to his constant questioning of how to transform love. It seems to imply that although love may be difficult, it is always worth it in the end if it is treated properly. I interpreted this perspective from the fact that every line in this stanza seems to discuss a positive aspect of love that contradicts the negative aspects of love seen in the middle of the poem. The three lines that eluded to this idea the most were, “As there are diamonds in the waters of the seas/As there are past centuries adrift in the dust of the earth’s atmosphere/As there are dreams in just one childish head.” These three lines seem to highlight the idea that no matter what, love is always able to exist in any form and in any way for anyone. This idea that love can exist in any way is seen through the narrator’s discussion of unimaginable aspects that still seem to exist such as it being possible to find diamonds in the water. Also, the fact that it alludes to the idea that something as simple as dust can actually be very complex and meaningful confirms that even though love may seem simple in itself, there is much more to it. Also, the fact that this final stanza has the opening line of “I’ll reinvent for you my rose as many roses” confirms that although the narrator has contemplated abandoning love, he will continue his search of trying to reinvent love so that it forms its own special meaning to him and the woman he loves.

Overall, I think my interpretations of this poem may be a complete stretch as well as completely wrong as it was difficult to try and break down this poem to see what its actual meaning is. Even though I did not expect this poem to contain many obvious aspects of Dadaism and Surrealism, I was surprised to find that nothing in this poem seemed to be influenced or related to either of these two movements. With this, I believe that Aragon did not have the intention of creating this poem to highlight ideas from these movements but rather just wanted to write a love poem to his wife Elsa Triolet as he was known to have written many poems to her. In the end, it is obvious that despite Louis Aragon being a Surrealist poet, this particular poem does not reflect any direct influences or aspects of Surrealism and instead seems to just be a love poem that explored love through a new way.

Sources Used:

http://kirjasto.sci.fi/aragon.htm

http://www.surrealism.org/

Project #1- Reflection

     When I first started thinking about this assignment, I realized that I wanted to write some type of love letter from a man to his wife. I wanted this letter to be a husband expressing what he thinks about and what he feels for his wife through strange descriptions. With this, I thought that a country song would be a good place to start as these lyrics tend to talk about love or about the feelings someone has for someone else. With this, I decided to copy lyrics from one of my favorite country songs into the Babel fish text translator in hopes that translating it from English to other languages and then back to English, would reform it into an interesting yet compelling text. Unfortunately, after translating this text a couple times between languages, it resulted in a bunch of words thrown together that were almost impossible to work with.  In having these difficulties with using the translator, I decided to look at each of the different websites that were recommended on the D2L website.
     With this, I began exploring each of the websites in hopes that I would find any words or phrases that would stick out to me. Throughout this search process, I was looking for particular phrases that would make sense in a love letter but would be different and unique at the same time. I was purposely looking for strange phrases that still described one’s feelings towards another as I wanted this letter to be a new twist on the traditional and typical formal love letter one would see. From this, the website that was the most helpful in generating strange sayings that still made sense was the www.madsci.org website. I found a bulk of my phrases and words from this website as a majority of the randomly generated sayings began with the word your. Considering I had intentions of making a letter that was directed at one particular person, these sayings were perfect for the direction I was going in. Although most of these phrases were very good from the beginning, it was necessary to alter them so that they would make sense and portray the overall purpose of the letter. With this, I copy and pasted what phrases I wanted to work with and then altered them by adding new words or reforming the phrase by changing the order of the words. In this editing process, I found myself using www.dictionary.com a lot as many of the words generated on this website were unfamiliar to me. In finding out what the definitions of these new words were, I would then decide if they were appropriate to use in the letter and if they would make the letter flow correctly. If the words did not really seem to work with where I was trying to go, then I would look for other words that would convey the message better while at the same time adding to the overall weirdness of the letter.   
     Overall, I found the editing process of the random generated phrases from the website the most difficult part in writing this letter as it was very frustrating trying to make completely random phrases work together to covey a meaning. I found myself constantly reediting certain parts as I was trying to create the perfect flow from sentence to sentence in order for the letter to still make sense to the reader despite the weirdness of it. In the end, I think I did a good job of reworking and changing the random phrases I came upon as the end result is a love letter that portrays a man’s feelings and desires about his wife through very descriptive and strange sayings.

Project #1: Generative Systems and SPAM Texts

Dear loving wife,
     You have my love which does not form any meaning. So, this is my letter d' affection to this spouse of the spouse for which I hope to prove my love. You always look like a million buckaroos. You are as dazzling as a pregnant cow attired in electrical sockets. You are more beautiful than a bouquet of fossils Madam! Timepieces could not even know your age. Oh how you move with the eloquence of disintegrating fuselage. In your presence even my shadow can acquire the sensation of touch.

     Your head! So precisely, fits into the smallest of diameters and portrays the most beautiful, sublime features of the twentieth century. Your face is like a perfectly shaven tennis ball that can bend even the most anorexic mirror into a sensuous state of muscular spasms. Your hair that sits upon that sweet face sends forth a sheen image of a wounded man streaming about bronze bandage gauze from the highest church steeple. I cry for the softness of your earlobes that adorn each side of your face. These succulent earlobes can make even turtles fall and the rain to stand still. May this divine pair of lobes ever flap about my neck like a thousand wooden pigeons fleeing the local sawmill. You wear your ears well honey, true to the testament of loose fitting flesh.

     Your eyes! How can I help but use your eyes as a means for self-asphyxiation? They glow like naked blueberries burning in the sun as many deep and full shades of blue as a healing bruise upon an injured forelimb can show. Your eyes are like spheres of transparent glue filled with shimmering skies. Your extensive, protruding eyelashes foster my libido into a state of disbelief for Roman Catholicism. These eyelashes would certainly compel even a wayward band of masticating cod into a feverish frenzy. Your eyebrows that sit atop these eyelashes are as verdantly forested as the woodworms of my most somber dreams. Even your sweet, bountiful tears evoke a taste as memorable as honey. I love your eyes my love, especially with ketchup.

     Your mouth! Is as incredibly soft as liquid being poured from an aquamarine vase of solidifying flesh. This unreachable mouth makes my head beat faster and my heart pound slower. Oh how your enormous crimson lips accent the sun! I wish to kiss these lips every third Monday of the month. I relentlessly desire your custard tongue hidden beneath to force itself out and slide in between my eyelids. And I cannot help but notice how the ocean's white foam resembles the froth of hair streaming above your lips. So madam, you wear a moustache quite well. So charmingly perfect, the perspiration on your upper lip is like a teardrop on a popsicle. Even a kitten's growl could surpass the plights of your spoken, soft voice when it exits this dainty mouth.

     Your body! Oh how it inflicts me with wounds of paranoia and desire. Your body and its curvy symmetrical features are certain of my wishes. Just fighting for the liberty to touch you is nothing ever scientifically explored before. Your seduction avoids extinction. If you were a camel your humps would be esoterically bald from overuse. In your mere presence not even a battalion of lawyers could pass the New York State driving exam. I fascinate myself with your body but in your absence, I find other forms of amusement. How long must I suffer and deal with your perpetual undergarments?

     Your intelligence! It can ferment meat without the need of oxygen. The expanse of your intelligence is so large no universe could ever fill. It can attain the grand summation of molecular motion at absolute zero. Your spark of intelligence can be seen in your blinking eyes and is like the glow visible from the teeth of an electrocuted axe-murderess. Even beauty and grace are perplexed in contemplating your multidimensional brilliance. May you always be as vivid and bright as your illicit hallucinations darling. Your intelligence is equal to the smoothness of a walnut shell.

     My sweet woman who I may only temporarily love, I have excreted my thoughts and my desires for you in this confession. My love for you is strangely distinct. If I were to combine your blood, toes, and hair, it might not be you, but it would be enough for my basic desires.



                                            Sincerely,

                                             A spouse that has sacrificed his sanity

The Bleeding-Heart Dove and the Fountain by Guillaume Apollinaire- Analysis

Since we did not discuss Guillaume Apollinaire's Calligrams in depth this past week, I was interested in analyzing one of the poems from this specific collection. My favorite poem from this collection of poems of Peace and War was The Bleeding-Heart Dove and the Fountain. When I first came across this poem, I was fascinated with how the words and phrases were structured in a way that formed an image. With seeing this new artistic technique, I researched Guillaume Apollinaire in order to get a better understanding of what provoked him to become a Dada artist. With this, I learned that he had joined the French army to defend his adopted country in World War I where he later fought directly on the front lines (poetry foundation). The fact that he joined the army led me to believe that when he created this collection of Calligrams, he may have had mixed feelings about war as even the title for this collection has two contradicting aspects, peace and war. He may have been two sided with the war because even though Dada and its artists stemmed from anti-war ideologies, he may have had the desire to fight for his country since he alone could not prevent war from happening. No matter what his feelings and opinions may have been though, the overall tone in this collection is that war is something detrimental as it induces immense suffering and emotional turmoil for everyone.

It is apparent when looking at this collection that Apollinaire’s intentions were to create each of these poems in a new, unique way that would captivate the audience as the form, content and context for these poems are very different from other traditional forms of art. Although each specific poem in this collection is very unique and distinct in its own way, the method that Apollinaire used was universal as every page became a canvas for experimentation in which he created new, spatial relationships in order to give the reader the opportunity to see the poem through multiple ways (Words and eggs). When comparing all of the poems, it is obvious that none of them share the same visual structure and instead have their own form for which creates their own image. This format is described as, “Apollinaire incorporated words, letters and phrases into complex visual collages” (Words and eggs). Through this unique, visual formation of verses and lines it is obvious that Apollinaire abandons the traditional and familiar way to read a poem. In the end, this format used by Apollinaire created unique images that are the main focal point for each poem and give the reader an opportunity to use their imagination for how they want to interpret it.

            In this particular poem, The Bleeding-Heart Dove and the Fountain, one can easily see this experimental form Apollinaire played with. From looking at this poem, the reader can see an image of a dove that seems to be flying atop a fountain that spews out water. Along with this image, this poem can be read and interpreted differently due to how the stanzas and verses are structured. In the middle stanza, there is no clear cut linear formation where every line distinctively moves from left to right across the page. Rather, there seems to be a vertical line that forms down the middle of each horizontal line as it acts as the center of the fountain. From this, it is evident that each horizontal line eventually curves down as it reaches the vertical line. On the opposite side of this vertical line, the second part of the line then either curves up or down, making it difficult to determine what the second part of the line is. For example, the line that begins with ‘With melancholy dies,’ can be interpreted to end with the line ‘Perhaps already dead.’ Or, it can be interpreted that the ending word ‘dies’ can split off into the word die and then connect upwards to the phrase ‘Like footsteps in a cathedral.’ The fact that there is no clear cut distinction of how to exactly read the poem from line to line shows Apollinaire’s intentions for the reader to be able to decide how they want to read the poem.

Another unique form technique that is evident in this particular poem is that there are different sized words and letters as well as only some letters are bolded. The fact that some letters are larger in size and bolded such as the letter D in the first stanza, the question mark in the second stanza and the letter O in the final stanza, depicts this unique and unconventional format style Apollinaire liked to use. Although I am not sure why some letters are bolded and larger, why some words are all capitalized, or why some phrases are larger, I believe that this was just another way to make the image more appealing to the reader. Overall, it is difficult to determine what the exact structure for this poem is as well as how it should be read which seems to mimic what Apollinaire had hoped for all along.

Like the format, the content and context for this poem are also unique as Apollinaire stems away from traditional phrases as he comes up with his own description for objects and emotions. I interpreted from the three stanzas that this poem is about war and its effects on everyone. As the first stanza begins with the line ‘Gentle faces stabbed,’ and then goes on to mention the names of young girls, suggests that these girls have been negatively affected by war as this context implies that their delicate faces once evoked happiness but now have been stabbed with fear. Towards the end of this stanza as it says, ‘BUT near a fountain that weeps and prays this dove is enraptured’ it seems as if fountain is used as a metaphor for a human being as it is described as weeping and praying. The fact that the fountain is weeping and praying alludes to the idea that it weeps out of sorrow for what the war has done and the negative impacts it has left on everyone.

  The second stanza seems to have the same emotional tone as the first stanza as the first line questions where three boys have gone and then answers this question in the following line as it says ‘Oh my friends who have gone to war whose names melancholize.’ Through this context and the use of the word melancholize, I interpreted that the narrator is in a depressive state because of the war that has taken the life of his beloved friends whose name’s still appear and hover in his mind. Towards the end of this stanza, the lines ‘My soul is full of memories/Derain with eyes gray as the dawn fountain weep for my sorrow,’ seem to allude to the fountain metaphor again as the fountain weeps for the narrator’s sorrow. This context implies that the narrator’s soul and mind is full of memories from the war for which have left an ever-lasting emotional strain on him and now the fountain is crying out for him in response.

The final stanza seems to sum up the narrator’s feelings through an ending note that does not seem to be very positive. It says, ‘Evening falls O bloody sea/Gardens where rose-laurel warlike flower bleeds in abundance.’ The context of these two lines leads me to believe that this is a description of the battle grounds of war for which at the end of the day there lies soldiers in their own blood. It alludes to the idea that these rose-laurel flowers will eventually grow in place of where these dead soldiers once lay as they will grow from their blood and will bleed their blood in abundance. In reading this final stanza, I interpreted that the narrator does not really have any hope for the future of his country as men will continue to die and lay in their own blood if war continues to exist. Overall, the context of this final stanza seems to sum up the content in the entire poem as the words and phrases that are used seem to portray the harsh realities of war and how those who fought will die and those who are left behind are left in their shadows and will continually to suffer.  

Sources Used:

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/guillaume-apollinaire

http://wordsandeggs.wordpress.com/2008/10/27/apollinaires-calligrammes/

Week 1: Dada and Alfred Jarry

Upon viewing Shock of the New, it was evident that the Dada movement arrived out of fed up writers and artists who were enraged that European modern society was tolerating and allowing a war to happen. From this, these writers and artists came up with an idea and plan of their own as they decided to not be connected to the war in any sense. This plan included an anti-war ideology that would be portrayed through the creation of an unique art form of which would intentionally ridicule and mock the modern world that was engulfed in a war-craze state of mind (Dada). Through these intentions, Dada and its followers purposely went against the cultural norms of society as this art rejected the standard and typical forms of art that were present at the time (Art History: Dada). Due to the fact that these writers and artists portrayed these anti-war sentiments, it was obvious that they would stir up controversy as well as have some sort of political impact.

            Considering these writers and artists of Dada were using this unique and controversial form of art as protest to the modern society’s desire to partake in war, it stirred up controversy within the public and with those in power. With these writers and artists going against the cultural norm by often having grotesque obscenities in their pieces of work, it was obvious that Dada in itself was not in any way mimicking or appreciating modern tradition (Dadart). Rather, these artists and writers were trying to create their own legacy for which they were purposely creating non-art as they believed that modern society had essentially lost all its meaning and worth (Dadart). With having these beliefs, Dada and its respect to authority and tradition seemed to be nonexistent as these artists had intentions to ridicule those in power, those in high society and those who were so willingly able to accept war through their own means. Despite many sources saying that these writers and artists were unorganized, many of them seemed to be successful in portraying their anti-war sentiments while at the same time protesting to the society they believed had lost all of its virtue.

            For example, one artist that portrayed the essence of Dada was Alfred Jarry in his creation of Ubu Rex. Through the many grotesque images and obscene language in this play, Jarry depicts his perceptions of modern society as it is a complete mockery of high society and the bourgeois. According to Wikipedia on discussion of Ubu Rex and Alfred Jarry, “Jarry satirizes power, greed and their evil practices.” Jarry satirizing power, greed and evil mimics the ideologies of the Dada movement as this play continually mocks and criticizes high society and their wrongful desire to only become more rich and powerful. In Ubu Rex, Jarry purposely creates a grotesque character named Pa Ubu to be the leading male role who tries to conquer Poland by any means necessary. The fact that throughout the play Pa Ubu does whatever it takes to become more powerful and rich such as killing the current king, killing all of the nobles, the magistrates and the financiers, etc.,  it is obvious that Jarry is mocking the European society around him as it believes dominance and wealth is everything.

          Pa Ubu’s obscene language including repetition of words and sayings such as ‘Sheeyit,’ ‘Horny,’ ‘In the name of my green snot,’ and ‘Horny cornhole,’ portray Jarry’s desire to stem away from the traditional art form as using this profanity and sexual language seems to go against the norm for plays at the time. Considering Alfred Jarry stems away from the traditional views on language, characters and plot, it is obvious as to why he is considered the forerunner of Dada theater. Overall, Jarry seemed to have immersed himself in the Dada movement as he rejected the traditional and cultural norms for art at the time by satirically mocking high society through a unique and comical way.

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Sources Used:

http://www.dadart.com/dadaism/dada/020-history-dada-movement.html - (Dadart)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubu_Roi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dada - (Dada)

http://arthistory.about.com/cs/arthistory10one/a/dada.htm - (Art History: Dada)