Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "XIII," Tristan Tzara, one of the chief figures in the Dada movement, offers a poem that serves both as an exposition and a contradiction of Dadaist principles. Through a blend of paradoxes, counter statements, and fragmented proclamations, Tzara encapsulates the defiance and inherent contradictions of the movement, offering a multi-dimensional view into the Dadaist philosophy.

The poem begins with the phrase "Dada is a virgin microbe," an intriguingly biological metaphor that frames Dadaism as something untouched, pure, and, by implication, infectious. The "microbe" metaphor can also suggest that Dada is a small but powerful entity capable of inducing radical changes, akin to how a microbe might cause an epidemic.

In saying "Dada is opposed to dear life," Tzara seems to assert that Dada stands against preciousness, against the sentimental or overly serious approaches to art and life. However, by employing the term "dear," he also acknowledges that life, with all its absurdities, is indeed precious. This paradox is emblematic of Dadaist thought, which revels in contradiction.

The poem, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, introduces Dada as the "Anonymous Society for the exploitation of Ideas," a title that mockingly appropriates the language of formal institutions. This could be read as an ironic commentary on the way society commodifies and institutionalizes ideas, robbing them of their radical potential.

"Dada has 391 different attitudes and colors according to the sex of the president" encapsulates the fluidity and unclassifiability of the Dada movement. Here, Tzara touches on the arbitrariness of labels and the ways they can be impacted by something as arbitrary as "the sex of the president." In essence, Dada refuses to be defined or contained by any one viewpoint, standard, or leader.

The poem then delves into a series of proclamations and contradictions: "It transforms itself-affirms-at the same time contradicts-without any importance-cries-goes fishing." Here, the Dada philosophy of embracing contradiction is laid bare. In a series of fragmented actions, the movement is portrayed as being in a state of constant flux, a quality that is both its essence and its challenge to traditional artistic and intellectual thought.

"Dada is opposed to the future. Dada is dead. Dada is crazy. Long live Dada," concludes the poem. These lines encapsulate the core paradoxes of Dadaism: it opposes the future because it challenges linear progress; it is "dead" and yet vibrantly alive, exemplified by the rallying cry "Long live Dada."

"Dada is not a literary school shouts Tristan Tzara," the poem ends, explicitly denying Dada's classification within established categories of art or thought. even as he shouts, even as he writes, even as he defines, Tzara defies. His poem is an embodiment of Dada itself-a vibrant, contradictory, irreducible force. By navigating these complexities, "XIII" serves as both a manifesto and an anti-manifesto, embodying the anarchic spirit of Dada in every line.

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