Image via Wikipedia
Today at dVerse Poets’ Pub, the talented Mark Kerstetter challenges us to dip into the waters of Surrealism by way of the work of Giorgio de Chirico – the man, his art or one of his works in particular.
I’ve chosen to touch on the surrealistic movement as it affected many aspects of life in the post-World War I era. Surrealism influenced not only the visual arts but also literature, music and politics. Its proponents went so far as to write a “Surrealist Manifesto” encouraging a revolutionary mind-set among its adherents. I must admit that surrealism is perhaps my least favorite art form. On the other hand, I enjoyed becoming surrealist for a day. Thanks so much for the challenge, Mark.
Non-Sequitur
Breaking News,
Circa 1920-something,
Paris, France:
BASTARD CHILD OF DADA
EMERGES
REVOLTING!
<anti-art,
revolting.>
ManRay had lunch today
with Reverdy.
“Create a juxtaposition
of two more or less distant
realities.”
Je t’aime.
Je t’en prie.
Je t’attends,
l’anarchie.
Mr. Magrite, viens ici.
Bienvenue, Leon Trostky
Breaking News,
Circa 2020-something,
wherever:
THIS WORLD IS STILL
CONTINUOUSLY
CONFUSING TO ME.
Pay a visit to http://dVersepoets.com and enjoy a “trip” into the world of surrealism and poetry. Perhaps you’ll enjoy sharing your work with those of us gathered in the Pub.
Victoria C. Slotto, Author 
Clever. Witty. A sign along the road to our understanding.
LikeLike
‘Breaking News,
Circa 2020-something,
wherever:
THIS WORLD IS STILL
CONTINUOUSLY
CONFUSING TO ME’
what’s changed 🙂 ~ sheer brilliance ~ what a journey ~
Je t’aime.
Lib x
LikeLike
And the world’s still confusing to me, too.
I’m not an editor or a proof reader – I really thought you might be doing something very sneaky by bringing in some obscure guy by the name of Trostky who had an answer! Unless Google let me down, I accept it’s our tried and true Leon! 😀
Victoria, you are some kinda wonky creative and I am in awe!
LikeLike
Yes. Surrealists embraced Communism or anarchy. I am wonky at times, I suppose. It’s kinda fun.
LikeLike
I’ll admit it. I don’t understand it. But isn’t that the point? Maybe I do understand. I’m confused… Interesting post, nonetheless…
LikeLike
I love the surreal prompt in the middle of the piece. Fantastic writing.
LikeLike
great pics and your words to this kind of reflect surrealism really well ….thank you
LikeLike
Victoria, you have blown me away with this poem: essence of surrealism yet gently mocking. I’ve read it three times now, finding something new each time. The prompt had left me cold, but when I see what you have done with it, I might have to think again! Clever girl.
LikeLike
These are all clever, smart, and charming.
LikeLike
I think the most out of kilter thing that throws this off the edge into that style, is that it rhymes. It’s like the smooth white classical statue parts thrust into the disjointed colors and images of the paintings. It is a total non-sequitur, along with the total anarchic anti-establishment message–a rather unexpected and random*appearing* rhyme scheme is a very nice reinforcing touch here–as to the rest, I echo my predecessors.
LikeLike
crazy and beautiful Victoria..
Someone is Special
LikeLike
You are such an interesting poet, Victoria. I’ve been enjoying getting to know your work 🙂
LikeLike
I agree with Brian and Tom, sorry I couldn’t get here earlier to enjoy this. I love it! We were involved in our own real life surrealist experience with the inlaws.
LikeLike
Non-sequiturs indeed. Very surreal.
LikeLike
Dada Dada Dada – I love this truly.
You really capture the spirit and essence of the thing,
The wild unfettered character of anarchic art for its own sake…
This has a fresh feel yet could have come from the original age of modern confusion.
la folie et l’amusement – merveilleux
LikeLike
Your poem caused me to contemplate the confusingness of the world. I would guess that the people in 1920 found their world as confusing as we sometimes find our world today. I liked very much what you did with this prompt.
LikeLike
Wonderful, crazy, surreal images to fit the painting.
LikeLike
This was really original and different…matches the surreal nature of the painting…cool poem.
LikeLike
Today as I was having lunch, I wondered if the “modern age” has passed. I think it’s more difficult to be absurd, to be fresh, different, outrageous, so we are curving in this new millennium possibly on parallel lines; nevertheless, when life is out of order as it was then, it will make no more sense now.
Imposing order where no order has been may be a demand for an artist as much as “thinking outside the box”.
I appreciate all your references here. The French gives the piece a modernity and simultaneously pays homage to the gifts the English language received from the French as well as the art the world has received from the French.
Smart piece, well done!
LikeLike
The poem captures the surreal – disorienting, old order collapsed, new order not yet established, if it ever will be. Good poem.
LikeLike
while reading this all I could think was how wonderfully creative and crazy smart you are Victoria! A dynamite combo of creativity and intelligence…its evident in this piece…no doubt…
Annie
LikeLike
crazy smart…coming from a therapist! HeeHee. Thanks, Annie.
LikeLike
Love this! Let us Poets write our own manifesto and try to make some sense of this! 🙂 Ideally before 2020-something…amazing how much, and how little, it’s all really changed!
LikeLike
I think we’re doing that as we go!
LikeLike
Different take on the prompt.Brave of you do do,good for you.
LikeLike
It’s like you’re having an inner argument, surreal art, surreal poetry, which makes perfect sense upon hitting the final stanza! Great take, thoroughly enjoyed the read!
LikeLike
the way you wrote this, the phrasing, the french, all of it bridged time.
LikeLike
amazing, Victoria! the world IS still confusing to me. {smile}
LikeLike
Victoria…such interesting confusion for me…really exciting…I understand the confusion in the poem…but not in life
Jaye
LikeLike
wow victoria – love this…love how you included the french and the breaking news 1920 and 2020 – the use of capital letters also very effective…love your creativity..
LikeLike
Victoria, for someone who doesn’t care much for Surrealism, this poem is very cool. I think it’s more Dada though. (would it help to know de Chirico wasn’t really a Surrealist? – not that it matters though)
Come here i love you REVOLTING whatever
-and the last three lines, I just really love this poem!
LikeLike
yes, very, very dada.remnids of me of the play by Tom Stoppard Travesties.
LikeLike
Don’t know this one. Thanks for the info, zongrik.
LikeLike
Thanks, Mark. The prompt took me to a class I had a year or two ago on the whole post WWI scene and evolution of art etc. I didn’t know about de Chirico before your prompt and am glad to learn more. The writing experience for me was surrealistic…kinda fun, to be frank! I appreciate you.
LikeLike
ha, yes the world just keeps getting more curious as the days go by, or perhaps a bit more surreal…love that you did this as dispatches,perhaps from the edge of our known universes…well played victoria…
LikeLike
I enjoyed your take on the prompt…brought a smile to my face while reading it !
☮ ♥. Siggi in Downeast Maine
LikeLike