Zaoum

The zaoum (in Russian: заумь or заумныйязык, in Polish: " język pozarozumowy") of poetry of the futuristic is a type Russian and Polish (in particular Vélimir Khlebnikov and Alexeï Kroutchenykh in Russia, and Bolesław Leśmian, Julian Tuwim and Stanisław Młodożeniec in Poland) which aims mainly the organization of the sounds for themselves: all the poem is turned towards the phonic side of the speech.

Invented by Kruchenykh in 1913, the word “Zaoum” is composed of the Russian prefix za- (beyond) and of the name um (the spirit) and can be included/understood like “trans-mental”. Zaoum has neither grammatical rules, neither semantic conventions, nor standards of style. It was created to express the paramount emotions and feelings. Its universality is based on the idea that the sounds precede the significances, and represent natural elements, therefore universal, human communication.

More recently, the contemporary poet of avant-garde Sergei Biriukov founded an association of poets called the “Academy of Zaoum” with Tambov. Among the practitioners of Zaoum one finds also Serge Segay and Rea Nikonova.

External bonds

Article of Janet Kim

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