Breakfast

Gertrude Stein (1874–1946) · 1914

74 lines · from Tender Buttons

A change, a final change includes potatoes. This is no authority for theabuse of cheese. What language can instruct any fellow.

A shining breakfast, a breakfast shining, no dispute, no practice,nothing, nothing at all.

A sudden slice changes the whole plate, it does so suddenly.

An imitation, more imitation, imitation succeed imitations.

Anything that is decent, anything that is present, a calm and a cook andmore singularly still a shelter, all these show the need of clamor. Whatis the custom, the custom is in the centre.

What is a loving tongue and pepper and more fish than there is whentears many tears are necessary. The tongue and the salmon, there is notsalmon when brown is a color, there is salmon when there is no meaningto an early morning being pleasanter. There is no salmon, there are notea-cups, there are the same kind of mushes as are used as stomachersby the eating hopes that makes eggs delicious. Drink is likely to stir acertain respect for an egg cup and more water melon than was ever eatenyesterday. Beer is neglected and cocoanut is famous. Coffee all coffeeand a sample of soup all soup these are the choice of a baker. A whitecup means a wedding. A wet cup means a vacation. A strong cup means anespecial regulation. A single cup means a capital arrangement betweenthe drawer and the place that is open.

Price a price is not in language, it is not in custom, it is not inpraise.

A colored loss, why is there no leisure. If the persecution is sooutrageous that nothing is solemn is there any occasion for persuasion.

A grey turn to a top and bottom, a silent pocketful of much heating, allthe pliable succession of surrendering makes an ingenious joy.

A breeze in a jar and even then silence, a special anticipation in arack, a gurgle a whole gurgle and more cheese than almost anything, isthis an astonishment, does this incline more than the original divisionbetween a tray and a talking arrangement and even then a calling intoanother room gently with some chicken in any way.

A bent way that is a way to declare that the best is all together, abent way shows no result, it shows a slight restraint, it shows anecessity for retraction.

Suspect a single buttered flower, suspect it certainly, suspect it andthen glide, does that not alter a counting.

A hurt mended stick, a hurt mended cup, a hurt mended article ofexceptional relaxation and annoyance, a hurt mended, hurt and mended isso necessary that no mistake is intended.

What is more likely than a roast, nothing really and yet it is neverdisappointed singularly.

A steady cake, any steady cake is perfect and not plain, any steady cakehas a mounting reason and more than that it has singular crusts. Aseason of more is a season that is instead. A season of many is not morea season than most.

Take no remedy lightly, take no urging intently, take no separationleniently, beware of no lake and no larder.

Burden the cracked wet soaking sack heavily, burden it so that it is aninstitution in fright and in climate and in the best plan that there canbe.

An ordinary color, a color is that strange mixture which makes, whichdoes make which does not make a ripe juice, which does not make a mat.

A work which is a winding a real winding of the cloaking of a relaxingrescue. This which is so cool is not dusting, it is not dirtying insmelling, it could use white water, it could use more extraordinarilyand in no solitude altogether. This which is so not winsome and notwidened and really not so dipped as dainty and really dainty, verydainty, ordinarily, dainty, a dainty, not in that dainty and dainty. Ifthe time is determined, if it is determined and there is reunion thereis reunion with that then outline, then there is in that a piercingshutter, all of a piercing shouter, all of a quite weather, all of awithered exterior, all of that in most violent likely.

An excuse is not dreariness, a single plate is not butter, a singleweight is not excitement, a solitary crumbling is not only martial.

A mixed protection, very mixed with the same actual intentionalunstrangeness and riding, a single action caused necessarily is not morea sign than a minister.

Seat a knife near a cage and very near a decision and more nearly atimely working cat and scissors. Do this temporarily and make no moremistake in standing. Spread it all and arrange the white place, doesthis show in the house, does it not show in the green that is notnecessary for that color, does it not even show in the explanation andsingularly not at all stationary.

Words in this poem 24
instruct a.
Arranged; furnished; provided. [L. instructus, p. p. of instruere to furnish, provide, construct, instruct; pref. in- in, struere. See Structure.]
singularly adv.
In a singular manner; in a manner, or to a degree, not common to others; extraordinarily; as, to be singularly exact in one's statements; singularly considerate of others.
centre v. i.
To be placed in a center; to be central.
vacation n.
The act of vacating; a making void or of no force; as, the vacation of an office or a charter. [F., fr. L. vacatio a being free from a duty, service, etc., fr. vacare. See Vacate.]
outrageous a.
Of the nature of an outrage; exceeding the limits of right, reason, or decency; involving or doing an outrage; furious; violent; atrocious. [OF. outrageus, F. outrageux. See Outrage, n.]
pocketful n.
As much as a pocket will hold; enough to fill a pocket; as, pocketfuls of chestnuts.
gurgle v. i.
To run or flow in a broken, irregular, noisy current, as water from a bottle, or a small stream among pebbles or stones. [Cf. It. gorgogliare to gargle, bubble up, fr. L. gurgulio gullet. Cf. Gargle, Gorge.]
astonishment n.
The condition of one who is stunned. Hence: Numbness; loss of sensation; stupor; loss of sense. [Cf. OF. est, F. étonnement.]
exceptional a.
Forming an exception; not ordinary; uncommon; rare; hence, better than the average; superior. Lyell. [Cf. F. exceptionnel.]
disappointed a.
Defeated of expectation or hope; balked; as, a disappointed person or hope.
singular a.
Separate or apart from others; single; distinct. [OE. singuler, F. singulier, fr. L. singularius, singularis, fr. singulus single. See Single, a.]
intently adv.
In an intent manner; as, the eyes intently fixed.
leniently adv.
In a lenient manner.
beware v. t.
To avoid; to take care of; to have a care for.
larder n.
A room or place where meat and other articles of food are kept before they are cooked. [OF. lardier. See Lard, n.]
cracked a.
Coarsely ground or broken; as, cracked wheat.
cloaking n.
The act of covering with a cloak; the act of concealing anything.
extraordinarily adv.
In an extraordinary manner or degree.
altogether adv.
All together; conjointly. [OE. altogedere; al all + togedere together. See Together.]
winsome a.
Cheerful; merry; gay; light-hearted. [AS. wynsum, fr. wynn joy; akin to OS. wunnia, OHG. wunna, wunni, G. wonne, Goth. wunan to rejoice (in unwunands sad), AS. wunian to dwell. Win, v. t., Wont, a.]
dainty n.
Value; estimation; the gratification or pleasure taken in anything. [OE. deinie, dainte, deintie, deyntee, OF. deintié delicacy, orig., dignity, honor, fr. L. dignitas, fr. dignus worthy. See Deign, and cf. Dignity.]
reunion n.
A second union; union formed anew after separation, secession, or discord; as, a reunion of parts or particles of matter; a reunion of parties or sects. [Pref. re- + union: cf. F. réunion.]
shouter n.
One who shouts.
dreariness n.
Sorrow; wretchedness.

Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.

About this text

Breakfast is in the public domain. This text is taken from Tender Buttons: Objects, Food, Rooms, Project Gutenberg ebook #15396; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.

Cite as: Gertrude Stein, Breakfast, in Tender Buttons (1914), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #15396, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/stein-tender-buttons/food-breakfast.html, id L28691.

About this section

Breakfast is prose, printed in 22 paragraphs. It is part of the edition and is kept for reading, but nothing here is measured: the line breaks are the printer's, so no metre, rhyme scheme or scansion is stated.

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