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Lot #2061
Bob Dylan Triple-Signed Handwritten Poems: "Look at Marvin"

"Within this world / of tormented rush— / of bastard daughters / of mothers' sons / of Mr. Society—"

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Estimate: $20000+
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Description

"Within this world / of tormented rush— / of bastard daughters / of mothers' sons / of Mr. Society—"

Trio of handwritten poems in pencil by Bob Dylan, all 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, beginning, "Look at Marvin," tells the tale of a 20-year-old puking on his date's dress—a story that Dylan explores more than once in the collection.

The second, one of the most political and symbolic poems from the collection, begins:
"Within this world
of tormented rush—
of bastard daughters
of mothers' sons
of Mr. Society—
And of dirty little mouths—
And of King Clocks
And of green pieces of eight
that can buy
anything in sight."

The closing lines refer to Odetta, one of the leading figures in the folk revival. Dylan would later say, 'The first thing that turned me on to folk singing was Odetta.' Between the cadence, repetition, and subject matter, this verse is reminiscent of 'A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,' one of Dylan's most powerful and complex early works.

The last poem, a simple juxtaposition of nature and industry, compares the musical raga of a bird's song to being run over by a train: "Goddamn!
Those
Trains
Are
Loud."

In fine condition.

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





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