kurt schwitters

There are several english translations of 'anna blume.'  Here is a link which has many of his collages and his own english translation of the poem, which he entitled 'eve blossom.'

Schwitters' work is ingenius because of his blatant disregard for meaning on all levels.  Even compared to most dadaists, Schwitters was creating gorgeous meaningless garbage in a way that nobody else, that I know of, was.  'An Anna Blume' is one excellent example of this and garnered him some public acclaim at the time of its writing.  His incredible visual work is also worth seeing, but since I have disavowed pictures of any sort on this site you will have to go off world to find them.
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Anna Blume

O you, beloved of my twenty-seven senses, I
love your!
You your thee thine, I your, you mine. -- we?
This (by the way) is beside the point.
Who are you, uncounted woman? you are
-- are you? People say you are, -- let
them say it, they don't know how it stands with us.
You wear your head on your feet and walk about
on your hands, on your hands you walk.
Halloo your red dress, sliced in white pleats.
Red I love Anna Blume, red I love your! -- You
your thee thine, I your, you mine. -- we?
This belongs (by the way) out in the cold.
Red bloom, red Anna Blume, what do people say?
Prize question: 1. Anna Blume has a screw loose.
                       2. Anna Blume is red.
                       3. What color is the screw?
Blue is the colour of your yellow hair.
Red is the thread of your green screw.
You simple girl in simple dress, you dear
green animal. I love your! you your thee thine, I
your, you mine. -- we?
This belongs (by the way) in the ashcan.
Anna Blume! Anna, a-n-n-a, I trickle your
name. Your name drips like soft tallow.
Do you know it, Anna, do you know already?
You can be read from behind, and you, you
loveliest of all, you are from behind as you are
from the front: "a-n-n-a."
Tallow trickles softly over my back.
Anna Blume, you trickle beast, I love your!

A Retrospective, 1918- 1947

Texas Artchive

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