dick higgins

7/23/2019 Dick Higgins

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UbuWeb | UbuWeb Papers

A Taxonomy of Sound Poetry Dick Higgins

RELATED RESOURCES: Dick Higgins' Audio Works on UbuWeb Sound Poetry Dick Higgins' Visual Works in UbuWeb Historical

I - For Starters, a Sub-Hstory

Most sound poets and obserers o! t"e conte#porary scene approac" sound poetry as i! it $ere

a purely conte#porary p"eno#enon% but t"is neoteric ie$ si#ply does not "old up& It is true

t"at so#e kinds o! sound poetry are ne$ in t"e sense o! being $it"out !or#al precedent& ut

(ust as )concrete) and ot"er recent isual poetries "ae t"eir analogues going back into !olklore

or into *!or e+a#ple, t"e ucolic reek poets% so sound poetry too "as its close analogues& ."is

is natural% since it is natural !or anyone $"o is interested in poetry to try% at so#e point%

isolating t"e sounds o! poetry !ro# ot"er aspects o! it and to try out t"e #aking o! poe#s $it"

sounds #ore-or-less alone/ only i! suc" an e+peri#ent $ere totally arti!icial could so#et"ing so

basic as a poetry o! sound alone be entirely $it"out precedent& ut% to start our inestigation% let

us consider sound poetry not *as #ig"t be te#pting, by so#e tig"t de!inition t"at gae a

cli#actic structure to t"e argu#ent o! t"e critic or poet $"o o!!ers it-t"e reelation-o!-t"e-"ere-

to-!ore-unkno$n-trut" kind o! discussion-and si#ply use )sound poetry) as% generally% poetry in

which the sound is the focus, more than any other aspect of the work.

."ree basic types o! sound poetry !ro# t"e relatie past co#e to #ind i##ediately0

- !olk arieties%

- ono#atopoetic or #i#etic types%

- and nonsense poetries&

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http://www.ubu.com/sound/higgins.html


http://www.ubu.com/historical/higgins/index.html

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http://www.ubu.com/historical/higgins/index.html

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."e !olk roots o! sound poetry #ay be seen in t"e lyrics o! certain !olk songs% suc" as

t"e Horse Songs o! t"e 1aa(os or in t"e Mongolian #aterials collected by t"e Sen

Hedin e+pedition&2 We "ae so#e o! t"is kind o! t"ing in our o$n culture% $"ere sound

poetry !rag#ents are apt to be used at t"e ends o! stan3as% suc" as t"e 4renc" )il ron

ron ron petit patte 5 pont) in )Il 6tait une berg7re%) or t"e 8nglis" )"eig" do$n "oe do$n

derry derry do$n) in )."e 9eeper&) Si#ilarly% in lack A#erican #usic t"ere is a sound

poetry tradition% possibly based originally on !OR" CALLS% $"ic" $e !ind #etataci3ed

into t"e skat singing styles o! t"e popular #usic o! t"e 2:;<'s% in t"e long nonsense-like

passages in =ab =allo$ay's singing o! )Minnie t"e Mooc"er%) !or e+a#ple&

=A =A>>?WA@0

"ttps0$$$&youtube&co#$atc"BC#EFU.FVnb8

In $ritten literature% by contrast% #ost o! t"e sound poetry !rag#ents are brie!% ono#atopoetic

i#itations o! natural or ot"er sounds% !or e+a#ple t"e )rekeke+ ko-a+ ko-a+) o! t"e !rogs in

Aristop"anes' dra#a% or t"e )(ug (ug (ugs) o! t"e birds a#ong t"e 8li3abet"ans& ."is use o!

sound "as no se#antic sense to speak o!% alt"oug"% on occasion% its !res"ness consists o!

possible oerlaps *SUP8GP?SI=I?18S% =?I1=ID81=IAS, bet$een nonsense and sense& 8en

so#e recent sound poetry "as an ono#atopoetic ele#ent& 4or e+a#ple% #y o$n Requiem for

Wagner the Criminal Mayor is aboe all a structural piece% but its sounds rese#ble t"e !ig"ting o!

cats and also t"e so-called )ron+ c"eer) o! traditional calu#ny&

So#e o! t"e #ost interesting sound poetry is t"e purely nonsense $riting o! t"e periods in

Western literature $"en nonse#antic styles and !or#s $ere not supposed to be taken in !ull

earnest& ?ne o! t"eir delig"ts is t"e art $it" $"ic" t"ey parody t"e styles o! t"eir aut"ors' natie

tongues& .ry t"is 8nglis" e+a#ple% !or instance% !ro# t"e Victorian% 8d$ard >ear0

."rippsy pillo$ins%

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mq4UT4VnbE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mq4UT4VnbE



Inky tinky pobblebookle abblesEuabsB

4losky beebul tri#ple !losky-?kul scratc"a-

bibblebongebo% iddle sEuibble tog-a-tog% !erry#oyassity

a#sky !la#sky ra#sky da#sky crockle!et"er sEuiggs&

4lunky$isty poo#&

Slus"ypipp&

W"ile not set up as erse and t"ere!ore not e+actly sound poetry% t"is te+t is !ro# t"e period

$"en prose poe#s $ere re-deeloped% and it tropes t"e style o! a conentional polite letter o! its

period Euite ad#irably& Anot"er $ell-kno$n e+a#ple !ro# its ti#e $ould be t"e nonsense $ords

in >e$is =arroll's )Jabber$ocky --'.$as brillig in t"e slit"y toes& & &) and t"at kind o! t"ing& ."e

protagonist is eEuipped $it" a )orpal) s$ord% and speculation on t"at kind o! s$ord "as been

abundant eer since& W"en I $as a c"ild I "ad a science !iction #aga3ine in #y possession-long

since anis"ed-in $"ic" t$o genius c"ildren inented a )orpal) s$ord to protect t"e#seles

against an inasion o! creatures !ro# anot"er di#ension% and t"ere are currently een a literary

#aga3ine in =ali!ornia and an art gallery in 1e$ @ork =ity na#ed-$"at elseB-Vorpal & ."us

t"oug" no #eaning "as eer been assigned de!initiely to )orpal%) t"e $ord "as beco#e

!a#iliar as a sort o! e#pty $ord% signi!icant !or its lack o! #eaning and !or its "ar#ony in a

sentence o! ot"er% #ore se#antically signi!icant 8nglis" $ords&

Si#ilarly% in ="ristian Morgenstern's )esprKc" einer Haussec"necke #it sic" selbst%) !ro# t"e

!a#ous Galgenlieder% M?1L>?? D8> =AGA=?> *8> DI>8MA D8 HAM>8., a snail asks i! it

s"ould d$ell in its s"ell% but t"e $ord !rag#ents progress arid co#press into strange% decidedly

ungra##atical constructs/ t"ese use a sort o! inner ear and inner gra##ar o! t"e er#an

language $"ic" reeal a great deal about t"e sounds and potential o! t"at language0;



Soll i aus #ei# Hause raus

Soll i aus #ei# Hause nit rausB

8inen Sc"ritt rausB

>ieber nit rausB

Hausenitraus-

Hauseraus

Hauseritraus

Hausenaus

Gauserauserauserause &&&

$"ic" Ma+ 9nig"t "as translated as !ollo$s0

S"all I d$ell in #y s"ellB

S"all I not d$ell in #y s"ellB

D$ell in s"ellB

Gat"er not d$ellB

S"all I not d$ell%

s"all I d$ell%

d$ell in s"ell



s"all I s"ell%

s"all Is"ellIs"allIs"ellIs"allI&&&

?! course in er#an t"e last !ie $ords can be per!ectly co#pressed into one inented $ord

eac"% $"ic" cannot be done to t"e sa#e e+tent in 8nglis"& ."is illustrates not only t"e

uniEueness o! t"e er#an language but also t"e uniEue relations"ip bet$een success!ul sound

poetry and t"e e!!ectie use o! t"e linguistic potentialities in any gien language&

II - !#en sound $oetry be%omes %ons%ous of tse&f as 'ust anot#er (enre

?18

In our ta+ono#y% t"en% $orks in an arti!icial or non-e+istent language $ill be t"e !irst class o!

#odern sound poe#s&

At so#e point around t"e ti#e o! t"e 4irst World War it ceased to be assu#ed t"at sound poetry

could only be used !or lig"t or "u#orous $orks or as interludes in ot"er$ise traditional pieces% or

as so#et"ing so uniEue t"at eac" poe# appeared to be t"e !irst sound poe# in "istory-

assu#ptions t"at see# to underlie #ost early sound poe#s& ."e sense o! pioneering $as

replaced by t"e sense o! potential #astery% and a tradition o! sound poetry $as precipitated&

I#plicit in t"is deelop#ent is t"e een #ore radical aest"etic s"i!t $"ic" see#s to "ae begun

at t"is ti#e *and to "ae beco#e een #ore pronounced recently% sn%e, say, t#e &ate )*+s.

THAT /T /S 0O LO01ER DE R/1EUR THAT A POE2 2UST ATTE2PT TO 3E PO!ERFUL,

2EA0/01FUL OR E4E0 0ECESSAR/L5 CO22U0/CAT/4E *a #ain assu#ption o! t"e 2t"

and 2:t" century poetries,& I "ae deeloped t"is obseration #ore !ully else$"ere% F but

basically #y argu#ent is t"at poetries $"ic" used #eans $"ic"% $"ile not unkno$n% $ere not

usually taken seriously in t"e West% especially isual as $ell as sound poetry% could no$ be



accepted as alid possibilities and genres&N ."us t"e parole in libert *2:<:, o! t"e !uturist 4& .&

Marinetti or t"e dada lautgedichte o! Hugo all * 2:2O,% bot" o! $"ic" !louris"ed at t"is ti#e and

bot" o! $"ic"% $"ile t"ey #ay include ele#ents o! "u#or% are not particularly intended

as di!ertissements as is% !or instance% t"e 8d$ard >ear piece I cited& ."e cycle since t"en is a

sort o! arc o! increasing acceptance o! t"ese genres as our #entality "as s"i!ted !ro# t"e

nor#atie art o! po$er in t"e late 2:t" century to$ards an art o! e+perience and paradig# today&

As a #easure o! (ust "o$ #uc" a all lautgedic"t *a $ork $"ic" probably see#ed Euite esoteric

at t"e ti#e o! its co#position, is accepted% one can point to t"e use o! all's )I i#bra) 2in its

surprising appearance as t"e lyrics to a recently popular song by t"e punk rock group% ."e

.alking Heads&O

.A>9I1 H8ADS0 I IMGA

"ttps0$$$&youtube&co#$atc"BCb-GDJFFQrR

."e punk rock song% like all's poe#% opens $it" )ad(i bera bi#ba dandridi%) $"ic" is not een

anc"ored in t"e parody o! any one language but is purely $it"out re!erence to any kno$n

language& TH/S /0 TUR0 E4O"ES THE POSS/3/L/T5 OF A0 ART/F/C/AL /04E0TED

LA01UA1E, an idea $"ic" $as also e+plored at t"is sa#e ti#e in t"e Gussian Ilia3d's )3aou#)

or t"e er#an Ste!an eorge's )lingua ro#ana) pieces& S.84A1 8?G8 DI=8 RU8 HA>AA

81 ?.G? IDI?MA% 8S=GIA% P?G U1A 18=8SIDAD P?T.I=A&

1 The song's lyrics are an adaptation of Dadaist Hugo Ball's poem "Gadji beri bimba." Thesong is inspired by African cultural music.

The lyrics contain these lines:

Gadji beri bimba clandridiLauli lonni cadori gadjamA bim beri glassala glandrideE glassala tufm I zimbra

2 The Russian poet Iliazd !ho settled in aris immediately after #orld #ar $ in%ented

a language he called Zaoum

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-RDJ4Z4XrQ

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dadaist

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Ball


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dadaist


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-RDJ4Z4XrQ



In our ta+ono#y% t"en% $orks in an arti!icial or non-e+istent language $ill be t"e !irst class o!

#odern sound poe#s&

SECOND

" second class comprises works in which the #oy or other significance of the work lies in the

interplay between the semantically meaningful lines or elements and those which are probably

nonsense. $t is thus related to the first class, and such pieces often use found materials collaged

into the te%t, as it were, so that one gets either a shock of recognition or a momentarily

heightened sense of immediate, concrete reality. &hese works parallel, conceptually, the early

collages of 'icasso or (raque with their inclusion of newspaper fragments among the forms on

the can!as, or the use of photographs by the dadaists and such (auhaus figures as Moholy)

*agy, or the ob#ets trou!+s of Marcel uchamp. ."at traditional critics can still be pu33led by

suc" $orks is indicated by t"e titles o! t"e contributions to a 2:O issue o! &e%t-ritik deoted

to t"e $ritings o! 9urt Sc"$itters% t"e er#an near-dadaist $"o !louris"ed in t"e 2:<'s and

later& Sa#ple titles0 )9urt Sc"$itters' Poe# '.o Anna lu#e'0 Sense or 1onsenseB) or )?n t"e

4unction o! t"e Geality 4rag#ents in t"e Poetry o! 9urt Sc"$itters%) etc&

:

Anot"er suc" deice%t"oug" not one t"at !its into sound poetry% $ould be t"e )ne$sreel) passages o! Jo"n Dos

Passos' /0"trilogy% $"ic" I only #ention as a parallel paradig#&

6 TRES

A t#rd %&ass m(#t be %a&&ed 7$#at% $oems,7 $oems n 8#%# semant% meann(, f

any, s subordnate to ex$resson of ntonaton, THUS 5/ELD/01 1E0ERA0DO A 0E!

E2OT/O0AL 2EA0/01 !H/CH /S RELAT/4EL5 RE2OTE FRO2 A05 SE2/OT/C

S/10/F/CA0CE O0 THE PART OF !ORDS !H/CH HAPPE0 TO 3E /0CLUDED9 IF, FOR

EXAMPLE, ONE WERE TO WAIL LLORAR GEMIR THE WORDS "BLUE" AND "NIGHT"

REPEATEDLY OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, THE INITIAL FUNCTION OF THOSE WORDS TO



ESTABLISH A FRAME FOR THE WAIL WOULD SOON BECOME UNIMPORTANT BY

COMPARISON WITH THE MUSICALITY OF THE WAIL ITSELF AND THE RESIDUAL

MEANING OF THE TWO WORDS WOULD COME TO SEEM MORE LIKE AN ALLUSION

THAN A CONVEYOR OF MEANING. ?ne $ould "ae% in e!!ect% an inocation $it"out anyt"ing

speci!ic being inoked& ."is is precisely t"e e!!ect $"ic" one gets !ro# t"e recently re-discoered

recording by Antonin Artaud o! "is )Pour en !inir aec le (uge#ent se dieu%) $"ic" $as originally

recorded in t"e late 2:F<'s a s"ort ti#e be!ore t"e poet's deat"% broadcast *causing a great

scandal,% and t"en lost !or #any years until Arrigo >ora-.otino uneart"ed it in t"e arc"ies o!

Gadiodi!!usion 4rancaise&2< Here Artaud uses #ore-or-less conentional $ords% but t"ey are% as I

"ae suggested% essentially allusions-or per"aps illusions% since so !e$ can be understood

any$ay& Instead Artaud's e#p"asis is on "ig" sig"ing% breat"ing% $"ee3ing% c"anting%

e+clai#ing% e+ploding% "o$ling% $"ispering and aoiding&

CUATRO

Poems 8t#out 8rtten texts %onsttute a fourt# %&ass9 ."ey #ay "ae a roug" ASP8G?

.?S=? sc"e#a or notation t"at is akin PAG8=ID? to a grap"ic #usical one *and t"ere are t"ose$"o regard a #agnetic tape as a sort o! notation,% or t"ere #ay be so#e general rules% $ritten

out like t"ose o! a ga#e% $"ic"% i! !ollo$ed% $ill produce a per!or#ance o! t"e $ork& ut by

co#parison $it" t"e role o! t"e $ritten te+t and t"e "eard result in traditional poetry or in t"e

preious sound poetries t"at $e "ae discussed *e+cept% per"aps% t"e preious class% t"e p"atic

poe#s,% t"ey are relatiely unnotated& Hig"lig"ts in t"is class $ould be Henri ="opin's

e+plorations o! t"e oice by #eans o! #icrop"one and tape recorder% 4ranois D!r7ne's ery

p"atic crirhythmes series *$"ic"% per"aps% constitute a transitory class bet$een t"e p"atic

poe#s and t"e un-$ritten-out ones,% or t"e "ig"ly sop"isticated tape recorded poe#s produced

in t"e recording studio by suc" artists as t"e S$edes% engt 8#il Jo"nson% Sten Hanson and

ot"ers&) A ery large portion o! t"e recorded literature o! sound poetry% especially in 8urope% is o!



t"is type% presu#ably because o! t"e in"erent close connection bet$een suc" $orks and audio

recording as an industry& Alt"oug" t"is is also t"e class in $"ic" #ost A#erican sound poetry

!alls% t"e A#erican literature tends to be aest"etically naie by co#parison to t"e 8uropean *and

=anadian, $orks& ."e artists see# ill at ease $it" t"e ery )per!or#ance) o! t"eir )te+ts&) 4or

e+a#ple% t"ere are so#e ten records in t"e 'oetry 1ut 2oud series edited by Peter and Patricia

Harle#an% $"ic" see# so#e"o$ like an e+tension o! t"e beat poetry o! t"e 2:<'s $it" its

"eay (a33 in!luence% its anti-!or#al bias and its dog#atic insistence upon t"e !res"ness o!

i#proisation&2 ."ere e+ist also si#ilar records edited and produced independently by Jo"n

iorno% $"ose $ork tends to sound i#proised een $"en it is not& ."ese "ae isolated

!rag#ents o! ric" #aterial% but #ost are "eay-"anded in t"eir un!or#ed iconoclas#&

4ortunately% een in A#erica% t"ere are e+ceptions suc" as t"e $orks o! Jackson Mac >o$%

Gic"ard 9ostelanet3 and ="arles Stein $"ic" are not o! t"is sort&

Jackson Mac >o$0

"ttps0$$$&youtube&co#$atc"BCJ>Wu(8#E$gM

RUI1.?

."e !i!t" class is t"e notated sound poe#% $"ic" co#prises t"e largest olu#e o! sound poetry

to date& y )notation) "ere I a# re!erring to t"e nor#atie sort o! #usical notation% in $"ic"

t"ere is so#e kind o! correspondence bet$een space% ti#e% $ord and sound and so#e !or# o!

grap"ic or te+tual indicator o! t"ese ele#ents& So#e o! t"ese notations closely rese#ble #usical

notations and "ae elaborate scores% suc" as t"e $ork in t"e 2:F<'s o! t"e lettriste Isidore Isou

or t"e #onu#entally co#ple+ $orks t"at ca#e out o! er#any in t"e 2:<'s% suc" as Hans &

Hel#s' ole# or Wol!gang Harig's das !ussballspielein stereop"onisc"es "rspiel% a page o!

$"ic" is reproduced "ere$it"0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLWujEmqwgM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLWujEmqwgM



Harig's das fussballspiel *)t"e soccer ga#e), is% as its coer proclai#s% )a stereop"onic radio

play%) t"e $ord !or $"ic" is% in er#an% appropriately enoug"% )"rspiel) or )"ear-play&) ."e

resources called !or on t"e depicted page alone are one c"orus $"ic" eidently is $orking in

unison "ere $it" a second and t"ird c"orus% a #an and a $o#an& ."e $ork $as !irst broadcast

by Sud$est!unk in Stuttgart on April 22% 2:NN&2;



Ho$eer% it could also be argued t"at any te+t% $"en it is taken as a $ork o! art by a person $"o

does not understand t"e #eaning o! its $ords% is conceptually trans!or#ed into a sound poe# o!

t"is class& 4or e+a#ple% in 4ebruary 2:N<% during a no$-legendary per!or#ance o! so#e

)Happenings) at 1e$ @ork's Judson ="urc"% =laes ?ldenburg *$"o later beca#e celebrated as a

pop artist, read aloud to "is A#erican audience !ro# a S$edis" translation o! &he 0carlet

'impernel & Since ?ldenburg's S$edis" is e+cellent% $"at t"e audience "eard $as all t"e p"atic

and p"onetic #aterials o! t"e S$edis" language& ?nce t"e spectator gae up trying to

understand t"e se#antic #eaning o! t"e $ords% t"e result $as !res" and #eaning!ul on anot"er

plane&

Anot"er suc" deelop#ent is t"e use o! a $ork $"ic" $as presu#ably designed !or an

ex$eren%e n some ot#er medum n $oetry, to $rodu%e a sort of ntermeda&

trans&aton9 For exam$&e, t#ere s t#e ntertextua& and ntermeda& re&atons#$ of

sound $oetry and %on%rete $oetry69 =oncrete poetry is% Euite roug"ly% t"e genre o! isual

poetry $"ic" uses $riting or t"e letters o! t"e alp"abet presented isually or syste#ically% as

opposed to isual poe#s $"ic" are p"otograp"ic% eniron#ental% conceptual% te#poral%

etc&2F =oncrete poetry beca#e a $idespread p"eno#enon in t"e 2:<'s and 2:N<'s& Ho$eer%

occasionally t"e need to per!or# concrete poetry )lie) $ould arise& So $"en t"e poets $ould be

asked to read t"eir $ork aloud% t"ey $ould o!ten use t"e printed te+ts by analogy to #usical

notations% t"us trans!or#ing t"e# into notated sound poe#s& So close is t"e connection

bet$een sound poetry and concrete poetry% in !act% t"at #any artists "ae done bot" and% in

!act% one o! t"e !irst p"onograp"ic recordings o! sound poetry as suc"% t"e 2:NN -konkrete

poesiesound poetryartikulationen%) by its ery title indicates t"e near-identity o! sound and

concrete poetry/ so#e o! t"e artists included% suc" as 8rnst Jandl% 4ran3 Mon and >ily

3 Poesía concreta es un g&nero de la poesa. (n este g&nero lo %isual y espacial tienen

el mismo ni%el de importancia )ue la rimay el ritmo en la poesa lrica.

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poes%C3%ADa

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rima

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritmo


https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%ADrica

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poes%C3%ADa

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rima


https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%ADrica



reen"a#% are kno$n in bot" areas% and Ms& reen"a# "as toured in 8urope and 1ort" A#erica

$it" "er lie per!or#ances o! concrete poetry translated into sound poetry&

>I>@ G881HAM0

"ttp0ubu&co#soundgreen"a#&"t#l

4GA1 M?M0

"ttps0$$$&youtube&co#$atc"BCgF?b#?gI(R

4inally% $it"in t"is !i!t" class t"ere is anot"er "ybrid% sound poe#s $"ic" are also radio plays% or

$"ic" see#ed designed to be "eard not as a uniEue e+perience but as part o! so#et"ing else% so

t"at t"e sound o! t"e $ords is acco#panied by t"e #eanings !ro# so#e di!!erent area o!

e+perience& ?ne "ears t"e te+t $it" only "al! one's attention% as one "ears #ost radio

broadcasts $it" only "al! one's attention/ t"is is #ore or less in"erent in t"e nature o! radio% t"at

one plays it $"ile $atering t"e "ouse plants% $"ile driing t"roug" "eay tra!!ic% or $"ile sorting

out t"e addresses in one's address book& My o$n 2e petit cirque au fin du

monde and 1mma#e are o! t"is subclass& ."e !irst is a )"ear-play) $ritten in 4renc"% a language

I do not speak $ell% so t"at t"e errors in it are part o! its te+ture% and it $as broadcast

repeatedly oer t"e public address syste# at t"e Uniersity o! Vincennes by Jean-JacEues

>ebel's students during t"e May 2:N insurrection in 4rance% a per!ect eniron#ent !or t"at

piece&

."ese% t"en% are t"e !ie relatiely #odern classes o! sound poetry0

2 $orks in an inented language%

near-nonsense $orks

http://ubu.com/sound/greenham.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g84ObmOgIjQ

http://ubu.com/sound/greenham.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g84ObmOgIjQ



; p"atic poe#s%

F un-$ritten-out poe#s% and

notated ones&

?biously so#e o! t"e #odern $orks being generated today still !all $it"in t"e t"ree classes I

described earlier in older sound poetry0

2 !olk arieties%

ono#atopoetic or #i#etic pieces% and

; nonsense poetries $"ic" trope t"eir o$n languages&

4or e+a#ple% t"ere is no doubting t"e #odernity or aant-garde credentials o! t"e .oronto-based

group% ."e 4our Horse#en% $"ose #e#bers per!or# bot" separately and toget"er& In t"eir

per!or#ances t"ey allude constantly to !olk or popular culture% to t"e e+tent o! $earing t"e kind

o! elaborate% al#ost psyc"edelic clot"es associated $it" rock and roll groups-and t"ey een

trope t"e style o! rock and roll to t"e point o! listening to eac" ot"er take ri!!s and solos and

playing o!! eac" ot"er as any tig"t rock group $ould& ."eir presentations are deliberately popular

and lig"t-spirited in order to #ini#i3e t"e gul! t"at usually e+ists bet$een per!or#er and

audience in t"e ne$ arts& @et% !or#ally t"is $ork belongs to t$o o! t"e oldest o! sound poetry

traditions-t"e !olk and nonsense traditions& In no $ay does t"is $ork to t"e detri#ent o! t"eir

ac"iee#ent% but rat"er it seres to re#ind us o! so#et"ing ery deep $it"in us $"ic" sound

poetry e+presses clearly $"en it is at its best-t"e loe o! t"e sound o! poetry&

III - Some 3oundares and 0on-3oundares of Sound Poetry



1o$ t"at $e "ae e+a#ined so#e eig"t classes o! t"ings t"at sound poetry is% it #ig"t be

!ruit!ul to turn our attention brie!ly to so#e t"ings t"at sound poetry eit"er is not% or is notyet &

?ne t"ing t"at sound poetry is not is #usic& ?! course it "as a #usical aspect-a strong one& ut

i! one co#pares typical sound poetry pieces $it" typical #usical ones% #usic is usually t"e

presentation or actii3ation o! space and ti#e by #eans o! t"e occurrences o! sound& ."is is t"e

nature o! t"e #ost traditional Mo3art piano pieces or Iris" unacco#panied airs as o! t"e #ost

innoatie Jo"n =age #usical inentions& ut any poetry relates space% ti#e and sound to

e+perience& ."us sound poetry points in a di!!erent direction% being in"erently concerned $it"

%ommun%aton and ts means, &n(ust% andor $#at%& It i#plies sub(ect #atter/ een

$"en so#e particular $ork is $"olly non-se#antic% as in t"e #icrop"onic ocal e+plorations o!

Henri ="opin% t"e non-se#antic beco#es a sort o! negatie se#antics-one is conscious o! t"e

ery absence o! $ords rat"er t"an% as in ocal #usic% #erely being a$are o! t"e presence o! t"e

oice& ."us% !or t"e sound poet certainly and probably !or t"e audience as $ell% THE CREAT/O0

OR PERCEPT/O0 OF A !OR" AS SOU0D POETR5 HAS TO DO !/TH ;UEST/O0S OF

2EA0/01 A0D E<PER/E0CE !H/CH ARE 0OT ESSE0T/ALL5 2US/CAL9 We identi!y $"at

$e are "earing #ore t"an $e $ould i! $e $ere listening to #usic& We are ery concerned $it"

(ust $"o or $"at is saying or doing $"at&

So#e o! t"e t"ings t"at sound poetry "as not yet beco#e are inter#edial& Inter#edia are t"ose

!or#al% conceptual areas o! t"e arts $"ic" !all bet$een already accepted #edia% suc" as isual

poetry !alling bet$een t"e isual arts and poetry& Ho$eer t"ere is al$ays a tendency !or

inter#edia% e+perienced $it" increasing !a#iliarity% to beco#e t"e#seles ne$ #edia& ."us%

taking sound poetry no longer as an inter#ediu# but as a #ediu#% it $ould be e+citing i! t"e

sound poets $ould e+plore t"ese t"ree ne$ inter#edia0 *2 , t"ose bet$een sound poetry and

linguistic analysis% *, t"ose bet$een sound poetry and sculpture% to produce pro!oundly t"ree-



di#ensional poetic constructs and not #erely analytical ones% and *;, bet$een sound poetry and

t"e eniron#ent&

In t"e !irst o! t"ese ne$ inter#edia% $e could use electronic #eans to apply t"e analy3ed sounds

o! one language to t"e conceptual structure o! anot"er to see $"at aest"etic e!!ects $ould be

#ade possible& We could $rite 8nglis" $it" t"e trans!or#ations o! er#an& We could generate

ne$ categories o! $"at t"e linguists "ae called )illegal) sentences-sentences t"at "ae no

possible correspondences in t"e p"ysical $orld *e&g&% 1oa# ="o#sky's !a#ous )colorless green

ideas sleep !uriously),& All sorts o! ne$ #acaronics $ould be $ort" e+ploring-puns and #i+tures

a#ong di!!erent languages% not to be "u#orous but to e+pand our e+periences&

In t"e second ne$ inter#ediu# poe#s $ould appear in situations and points o! space% and

$ould #oe to$ards ot"er situations and points o! space in an e+citing $ay& Masses o! sound

and $ord% p"ysical presence o! #ore $ords-t"ese t"ings $ould enable ne$ poetic structures to

enter into our e+perience&

4inally% t"e t"ird inter#ediu# could e+ist in eniron#ents and situations $"ic" $e do not

nor#ally regard as poetic& We could "ae poe#s !or sauna bat"s% !or sunsets% !or t"e

e+periencing o! elections !ro# a#ong t"e apple trees& We could use aspects o! t"ese places t"at

$ould aest"etici3e our relations"ips to t"e#% as% traditionally% a prayer $as supposed to

spirituali3e our relations"ip to its circu#stances-a prayer !or nig"t ti#e% a prayer !or t"ose $"o

$ere lost at sea& ."ere is a lot to be done in t"ese areas and #ore&

arryto$n% 1e$ @ork

?ctober nd% 2:<

FOOT0OTES



2 Henning Haslund-="ristiansen% &he Music of the Mongols3 4astern Mongolia *2:F;/ 1e$ @ork0 Da =apo Press% 2:O2,&

8d$ard >ear% &he Complete *onsense (ook *1e$ @ork0 Dodd% Mead and =o#pany% 2:;F,% p& 2<&

; ="ristian Morgenstern% &he Gallows 0ongs *erkeley0 Uniersity o! =ali!ornia Press% 2:NN,% pp& -:&

F I "ae deeloped t"is argu#ent #ore !ully in t"ree parts o!0 Dick Higgins% " ialectic of Centuries3 *otes &owards a &heory of the *ew "rts& Second 8dition& *1e$

@ork0 Printed 8ditions% 2:O:,% pp& +i% ;-:% :;-2<2% and also in0 Dick Higgins% George 5erbert6s 'attern 'oems3 $n &heir &radition *1e$ @ork0 Printed 8ditions% 2:OO,% pp&

2-2:&

."e early "istory o! isual poetry is #y sub(ect in t"e $ork listed in !ootnote F% aboe& Its bibliograp"y $ill also be use!ul !or anyone seeking to e+plore t"e #atter

!art"er& 4or a si#ilar discussion o! sound poetry% but one $"ic" continues into #odern ti#es as $ell% t"e best suc" article in 8nglis" is t"at o! Step"en Guppent"al and

>arry Wendt% )Vocable estures0 A Historical Surey o! Sound Poetry%) in "rt Contemporary 7 *2:O, X >a Ma#elle% Inc&% P&?& o+ ;2;% San 4rancisco% =A :F22:2 % pp&

O-% <-2<F& A large study o! t"e sub(ect by Henri ="opin is due to be publis"ed s"ortly in 4rance% $"ic" s"ould "elp !ill in t"e gap in "istorical sc"olars"ip in sound

poetry&

N 4or an e+a#ple o! a naYe attack on isual poetry% see Hippolyte .aine% 5istory of 4nglish 2iterature *1e$ @ork0 Holt Z Willia#s% 2O,% & F% p& F& Anot"er suc"

attack is in Josep" Addison% 0pectator 78% #any editions&

O ."e .alking Heads' )I i#bra) is on t"eir albu#% 9ear of Music *1e$ @ork0 Sire Gecords% 2:O:,% SG9 N<ON&

Many e+cellent e+a#ples o! suc" $ork are gien in 8ugene Jolas% )4ro# Jabber$ocky to2ettrisme) in &ransition 9orty)4ight *2:F,% & 2% n& 2% pp& 2<F-2<&

: &e%t-ritik *2:O,% n& ;;N% pp& 2; and ;;&

2< Arrigo >ora-.otino% ed&% 9utura:'oesia 0onora *Milano0 =ra#ps Gecords% 2:O:,% <N ;<F& ."is seen-record set contains a large book o! notes $it" #any #aterials

t"at are unaailable else$"ere&

22 Gecordings o! "ig"lig"ts o! seen o! t"e International Sound Poetry 4estials% "eld at Stock"ol# !ro# 2:N to 2:O% can be !ound on !ie records !ro# Seriges

Gadios 4rlag% G8>P 2<F:% 2<F% 2<O% 2<O; and 2<OF% and on t$o !ro# 4ylkingen Gecords% G8>P 22< and 22<;&



2 'oetry 1ut 2oud *St& >ouis% M?0 ?ut >oud Productions% 2:O2 to 2:OO,&

2; >ud$ig Harig% das fussbalspiel3 ein stereophonisches h;rspiel *Stuttgart0 8dition Hans(rg Mayer% 2:NO,&

2F I say )roug"ly) because% !or purposes o! discussion% I a# ignoring t"e sub-genre o! concrete poetry $"ic" is eit"er calligrap"ic or is $ritten in non-legible $riting&

Many !ine ant"ologies o! concrete poetry "ae appeared& 4or e+a#ple% one o! t"e largest% one $"ic" is tec"nically out o! print but $"ic" is o!ten !ound% is 8##ett

Willia#s% ed&% "n "nthology of Concrete 'oetry *1e$ @ork0 So#et"ing 8lse Press% 2:NO,&

2 Anastasia it3os% ed&% konkrete poesie : soundpoetry : artikulationen *ern0 Anastasia it3os% 2:NN,& Ms& it3os produced at least one ot"er suc" record as

$ell& ."ere also are seeral records o! >ily reen"a#'s sound poetry translations o! concrete% !or e+a#ple0 internationale sprache%perimente der 7<:=<er #ahre :

international language e%periments of the 7<:=<ies Xsic[ *4rank!urt a# Main0 8dition Ho!!#ann% ca& 2:O<,&

dick higgins

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