The Fuehrer Makes An Aesthetic Decision Poem by Paul Hartal

The House of German Art
opened its gates to the public
in Munich in the summer of 1937
with a grand exhibition.

The pseudo-classic building
displayed Nazi art works
and Hitler himself delivered
a long inaugurating speech at the show.

Gesticulating wildly, the fuehrer
denounced with incensed rage artists
who attach theories to their work.
Aesthetic doctrines, he said,
pollute the mind.

Then the dictator went on
proclaiming that he was always
determined neither to analyze,
nor to discuss artistic judgment,
but to make decisions.

He also gave a demonstration
of what he meant by his words.

Although the Nazi jury had already
selected the works for the exhibition,
Hitler became so furious
with some of the paintings on display
that he kicked holes through them
with his jack boot.