"To Make a Dadaist Poem" by Tristan Tzara

To Make a Dadaist Poem

Take a newspaper
Take some scissors.
Choose from this paper an article the length you want to make your poem.
Cut out the article.
Next carefully cut out each of the words that make up this article and put them all in a bag.
Shake gently.
Next take out each cutting one after the other.
Copy conscientiously in the order in which they left the bag.
The poem will resemble you.
And there you are--an infinitely original author of charming sensibility,
even though unappreciated by the vulgar herd.
-Tristan Tzara

Tristan Tzara, the creator of Dadaism, is the speaker of this poem, “How to Make a Dadaist Poem”. He’s speaking out to the world about the movement and trying to explain the true meaning of Dada through telling his audience how to develop a Dada poem, instead of blatantly saying what the point of Dadaism is. Because the movement is based around not making any sense, this poem has no structure, pattern, or rhythm. It seems like just an explanation on how to write a Dada poem, but it is more than that. It embodies the whole Dada movement. Its precise directions, “Take a newspaper, Take some scissors” are orders. Tzara’s tone in this poem has a force that showed how he thought that art needed to change. The purpose of the author of this poem being the creator of Dadaism is that he had a strong influence over his movement, and could explain what Dadaism is trying to accomplish in the best manner. He wants people to understand that if the world’s actions did not make sense at the time, such as wars and fighting, than neither should poetry. By making poetry that lacks meaning, this caught the attention of readers. By choosing the words that are cut out of the newspaper article from the bag, it represents the random order and rebellion that Dada portrays. Once these words form a poem, they “resembled” the author of the poem. This author is also considered “An infinitely author of charming sensibility, even though unappreciated by the vulgar herd.” That is how the poem ends, to signify how the “vulgar herd” is the rest of the world who doesn’t believe that art needed a new makeover. This poem isn’t just a poem, but orders to his audience, that Dadaism is a necessity for society in order for it to better itself.