SURREALIST POETRY IN THE CONTEXT OF LINGVOPOETIC EXPERIMENTS OF THE EUROPEAN AVANT-GARDE

Abstract

This article analyzes the linguistic and poetic experiments of the surrealists within the broader context of the avant-garde movements that preceded them. By reviewing the ideas and theoretical works of Romantic poets, Symbolists, Futurists, and Dadaists, the study identifies key generalizations about the nature of their linguistic experimentation and evaluates their influence on the poetics of surrealism. The research demonstrates that a characteristic feature of most avant-garde schools was their dissatisfaction with the expressive potential of language, which was perceived as an imperfect tool for conveying thought and reflecting the rapid social and cultural changes of the early 20th century. In response, avant-garde movements rebelled against conventional linguistic norms, undertaking poetic experiments to create a new form of poetry in a liberated, rule-free language. The study examines the principles inherited by surrealists from their predecessors and analyzes the aesthetic concepts central to surrealism. It summarizes the perspectives of surrealist theorists and practitioners regarding the linguistic tools employed to construct surrealistic imagery. The findings reveal that the surrealists' approach to the artistic word significantly diverged from that of other avant-garde schools. Where others perceived absurdity or lack of sense, surrealists discovered latent, often esoteric meanings. For surrealists, language was not a flawed medium but a key to authentic knowledge untainted by centuries of cultural tradition. In their pursuit of deeper expression, surrealist poets turned to automatic writing, a technique that became a defining feature of the movement for several years. Through the creation of the "Laboratory of Surrealist Studies," these poets conducted experiments at the intersection of linguistics and psychology. Their goal was to rediscover an "authentic and genuine" language, explore its imaginative and creative potential, and restore a man’s harmony with an inner nature uncorrupted by imposed cultural values.