Of all the literary arts, poetry is probably the most soreal, since it both engages in the reality of language and discourse, but resonates with hidden unconscious alllusions from within. It is both concrete - a thing, a pattern of sounds, typeset on a page: and deeply evocative and immaterial. As Seamus Heaney called it, "A Door into the Dark"

But though poetry is the most expressive form of communication we have, and probably one of the most universal since every teenager is destined to write it, and even the most isolated cultures combine words and music in lyric forms, poetry is often seen to be the most obscure and elitist of the arts. Perhaps there's s reason for this. Perhaps it's not read right. 

 Soreal poetry aims to make itself as clear as possible - while clearly trying to say some very difficult things. The best recent example would be Frank O'Hara's previously obscure poem MAYAKOVSKY, which formed the climax to the opening episode of the new season of MAD MEN - perhaps the finest drama to reach the small screen since The Sopranos ended. 

And here's the original. See how brilliantly natural, real and understated the performance is, while still squeezing every drop of emotion - barely guarded - from the verse

 MAYAKOVSKY

Now I am quietly waiting for
the catastrophe of my personality
to seem beautiful again,
and interesting, and modern.

The country is grey and
brown and white in trees,
snows and skies of laughter
always diminishing, less funny
not just darker, not just grey.

It may be the coldest day of
the year, what does he think of
that? I mean, what do I? And if I do,
perhaps I am myself again. 

FRANK O'HARA

This is how poetry should be read - with real intent, minus the sonorous vibrato of 'significance', and the false pauses and intonations of much modern poetry performance. In this performance we get the emotional dislocation and disembodiment, overcome by the amazing force and calmness of self-awareness. There's no misery. No emo-style self-pity. Just reflection, observation, and honesty about oneself. 

I would call poetry like this SO REAL that it's profoundly beautiful. And it stand up there with other classic exemplars of the genre, especially that displayed by the Polish Poets during the Second World War and in the Communist aftermath. More of them on other pages, but please comment and add your own favourites in this 'soreal' mode.