36
language. T. J. Demos, in his analysis of the poem, argues
excretions. To reiterate this point, Ball presented himself on
that “any given term can consequently never be fully located
stage, alongside three music stands holding his prepared
and is always becoming different.” Therefore, as a result of
text.14 Wearing a Cubist mask and a costume of blue
such plasticity, language is not consistent enough to realize
cardboard, he incorporated his body into his performance.
a specific purpose. As a poem of pure, ever-changing sound,
While the significance of the unrecognizable phonemes
Karawane exists only within the moment it is pronounced.
could not be associated with nationalism or semantics,
Ball thus prevented his poem from becoming an item that
the poem was clearly a representation of Ball himself: the
could be dominated by a personal agenda.
language was Ball’s voice, the written text was a part of the
stage equipment, and the performance showcased his body.
11
Liberated from promoting nationalism,
Although the incomprehensibility of Karawane
manipulating an audience politically, and facilitating
communication, Karawane represents the poem, and
liberates language from its nationalistic use, the fragmented
language in general, as is: an invention. While reflecting on
references to various dialects reflect the brokenness of the
the performance, Ball even called his poem an “invented
nation and the displacement of Ball himself. The poem is
. . . genre of poems.”12 Indeed, the structure of the poem
not written in a single language but touches upon several
suggests that the variations of unfamiliar phonemes
at once. For example, “jolifanto” phonetically points to
are endless. For while Ball continuously presented new
a French hybrid of joli (pretty) and éléphanteau (baby
combinations of sounds to hinder exploitation, he also
elephant).15 Just as these sound elements evolved from
adhered to a traceable evolutionary process. To remark on
each other, they are also a result of combining and adding
the previous example: “gadji” morphs into “gadjama,” which
onto the phonetic parts of familiar languages. In a way, this
soon expands to “glassala glandridi glassala.” Karawane thus
transformation process symbolizes the fractured nation. If
follows a pattern of amalgamation. The morphing of sounds
words like joli and éléphanteau represent France, then the
in the poem is Ball’s creative signature; his role as the
formation of “jolifanto” illustrates France, ruptured and
inventor of this new “genre” is unquestionable. Furthermore,
rearranged by war. There is also an allusion to Spanish, with
unbounded by any linguistic precedent or political itinerary,
habla (to talk), and Portuguese, with falli (speech).16 Ball’s
the evolution of these phonemes could theoretically
play with verbal communication continues as these words,
continue forever. Demos maintained that even “a laundry list
like the other phrases in the poem, soon transform into
could be poetry.” The possibility of infinite arrangements
other unrecognizable forms: “hollaka,” “hollala,” “fataka.” By
suggests that language, because it is an invention, can
fracturing and transforming the words that signify speech,
always be reinvented.
Ball demonstrated his own struggle for expression. It is as if
13
While the language in Karawane is free from
the Spanish, French, or Portuguese versions of a word were
misuse, it is still inevitably attached to its creator and
insufficient or perhaps irrelevant to Ball, and he therefore
speaker, Hugo Ball. During his performance, accented
moved on to other unfamiliar versions of these national
consonants soon developed into the chants of heavy
tongues. In renouncing nationalism, he no longer belonged
vowel lines. Although the sounds of the wordless verse
to any nationalistic community. While the references to
do not refer to any object, the noises clearly came from
Spanish, French, and other national tongues point back to
Ball’s mouth. In a way, the poem is a form of Ball’s bodily
Ball’s creation of a language unrestricted by nationalism, it