Velimir Khlebnikov Biography | Poet

Velemir Khlebnikov (1885-1922) is well known in Russian circles for his zaum poetry. Zaum means he went to the roots of the Russian language, composing poems that were based on sounds alone. Obviously these poems are practically impossible to translate, though attempts have been made. His poem, Incantation by Laughter, consists essentially of multiple forms of the word smekh (laughter) repeated one after another.

My favourite poem by Khlebnikov, in which he uses one of those forms of smekh, is actually about love. It begins Once again, once again... Like Mayakovsky, Khlebnikov takes all the symbolist mysticism out of the traditional symbolism of a star. It is actually quite a bitter poem. In a typically futurist manner, he relates a nebulous concept like love to the science of navigation.

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Velimir Khlebnikov: Poems | Best Poems | Short Poems | Quotes