Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
(800) 937-3880
SELL

Lot #2060
Bob Dylan Triple-Signed Handwritten Poems: "Sholom Alechem"

A trio of "Dylanisms" on identity, penned as Robert Zimmerman became Bob Dylan

This lot has closed

Estimate: $20000+
Sell a Similar Item?
Share:  

Description

A trio of "Dylanisms" on identity, penned as Robert Zimmerman became Bob Dylan

Trio of handwritten poems in pencil by Bob Dylan, with two signed "Dylanism" and one signed "Dylan," one page, 8.5 x 11, taken from his circa 1960 'Poems Without Titles' penned while at the University of Minnesota. The first piece begins with a Hebrew greeting, "Sholom alechem, all you mothers," adapting a phrase from his life as Robert Allen Zimmerman, who celebrated his bar mitzvah in Hibbing, Minnesota, on May 22, 1954. It's a warning to mothers:

"If you could only see him tonite… He isn't as hip and cool as you think he is—
or as he is supposed to be."

The second, an aphoristic five-line take on quitting smoking, concludes:

"I love to smoke
Almost as much
As I love to love."

The third is a deep, existential observation:

"I search the depths of my soul
for an answer
But there is no answer
Because there is no question
And there is no time."

In very good to fine condition, with some staining to the lower left corner, and minor chipping to the edges.

These three poems, all with autobiographical undertones, are unique in their diversity: the first is written as something of a conversation; the second is an outtake from everyday life; and the third comments on man's search for meaning. Thematically, however, they all address a crisis of identity—perhaps drawn from life, inspired by the poet's metamorphosis from Robert Zimmerman to Bob Dylan.

Bob Dylan Poem Copyright © 2022 Babinda Music

Provenance: Christie’s, 11/21/05

Auction Info

  • Auction Title: Marvels of Modern Music
  • Dates: #636 - Ended May 19, 2022





This item is Pre-Certified by Real
Buy a third-party letter of authenticity for $100.00

*This item has been pre-certified by a trusted third-party authentication service, and by placing a bid on this item, you agree to accept the opinion of this authentication service. If you wish to have an opinion rendered by a different authenticator of your choosing, you must do so prior to your placing of any bid. RR Auction is not responsible for differing opinions submitted 30 days after the date of the sale.