Poetic Comments On The Greatest Painters

[FifthFlower]

Tower of Babel

I saw one of Pieter Bruegel's paintings in the movie Bridge to Terabithia recently. Here is the Tower of Babel.

Like ants, we build our castles high,
And some of them must fall.
I sprayed those ants, and watched them die,
Then wiped away it all.

 

[poppy1963]

I saw one of Pieter Bruegel's paintings in the movie Bridge to Terabithia recently. Here is the Tower of Babel.

Like ants, we build our castles high,
And some of them must fall.
I sprayed those ants, and watched them die,
Then wiped away it all.

You know FifthFlower...there could not be a clearer or simpler way to describe....things...That's just probably IT. I don't know whether to smile or frown a lot of the time! Am I making any sense to you at all?

 

[FifthFlower]

You know FifthFlower...there could not be a clearer or simpler way to describe....things...That's just probably IT. I don't know whether to smile or frown a lot of the time! Am I making any sense to you at all?

I felt miserable about killing those ants, but I got over it.

I've never heard of the artists mentioned here recently: Pollock, Rothko, Basqiuat and Still. I know Liar thinks they are household names, so I better get my household in order. However, Bruegel is just captivating.

 

[poppy1963]

I felt miserable about killing those ants, but I got over it.

I've never heard of the artists mentioned here recently: Pollock, Rothko, Basqiuat and Still. I know Liar thinks they are household names, so I better get my household in order. However, Bruegel is just captivating.

I understand quite well about the ants...at one pondering point I even felt a little bad for killing the cancer I had...after all it was just another kind of living thing trying to survive. People tell me I'm crazy when I bring that up...I don't know why. I did do what I had to do at that time. But I think also we must consider such things...it WAS just another form of life trying to survive. It bore me no personal malice.

But your poem made me think of "the Creator"....the original "great painter" in my humble agnostic opinion...trying to make his/her painting just right. Things are created, then evaluated, then either allowed to remain or simply wiped away. It's a frightening way to view things but as I said...all things must be considered sometimes. I've never been one to mince words about creation, life, mortality...though looking them in the eye at times makes for a life of trembling.

Any hoo...the Bruegel work, "The Tower of Babel" is quite captivating and intricate. Lots of little interesting details when you look real close. I love that!

 

[FifthFlower]

I understand quite well about the ants...at one pondering point I even felt a little bad for killing the cancer I had...after all it was just another kind of living thing trying to survive. People tell me I'm crazy when I bring that up...I don't know why. I did do what I had to do at that time. But I think also we must consider such things...it WAS just another form of life trying to survive. It bore me no personal malice.

In the case of the cancer, you were also trying to survive. That adds much more urgency. For those ants, I was wondering if there was some way I could distract them out of the house, but they loved the cat food. I don't know why that Bruegel painting made me think of them. The tower looked like an ant-hill I guess.

 

[FifthFlower]

Through the Door

I'm getting hooked on Bruegel. I don't know much about him or if the site I linked to is even authoritative, but some pictures are there. Here is his Triumph of Death which gives me the shivers.


We all know death will win,
No matter what our sin.
They're coming through the door.
If good is all we do,
The blade slides by us, too.
They're moving on the floor.

How bullets cream a heart!
The rape and terror start.
I see them standing there.
We children, too, will die.
Can someone hear us cry?
For death, we now prepare.

 

[poppy1963]

In the case of the cancer, you were also trying to survive. That adds much more urgency. For those ants, I was wondering if there was some way I could distract them out of the house, but they loved the cat food. I don't know why that Bruegel painting made me think of them. The tower looked like an ant-hill I guess.

Yes...and in my ponderings I realized that the cancer did not grasp that it's survival would result in the death of us both. Lose/lose situation.

Did you see Gangs of New York? It reminded me of the "Dead Rabbits' Society" tenement in a way...

 

[poppy1963]

I'm getting hooked on Bruegel. I don't know much about him or if the site I linked to is even authoritative, but some pictures are there. Here is his Triumph of Death which gives me the shivers.


We all know death will win,
No matter what our sin.
They're coming through the door.
If good is all we do,
The blade slides by us, too.
They're moving on the floor.

How bullets cream a heart!
The rape and terror start.
I see them standing there.
We children, too, will die.
Can someone hear us cry?
For death, we now prepare.

Oh... That is a chilling scene; also quite reminiscent of the hand-to-hand combat between the two gangs in Gangs of New York...but certainly a realistic image of all such violent wars. I don't know how anyone really psychologically survives a ground war experience.

 

[Picodiribibi]

A favorite image/poem of textbook editors everywhere:

Landscape With The Fall Of Icarus by William Carlos Williams

According to Brueghel
when Icarus fell
it was spring

a farmer was ploughing
his field
the whole pageantry

of the year was
awake tingling
near

the edge of the sea
concerned
with itself

sweating in the sun
that melted
the wings' wax

unsignificantly
off the coast
there was

a splash quite unnoticed
this was
Icarus drowning

 

[poppy1963]

That paintiing is quite lovely!

It reminds me of scenes from The Book of Flying (Keith Miller) and actually...the main characters name was Pico. I loved that book...probably why I just Love your name here - Picodiribibi...so cool!

 

[TMV]

Basquiat

Despite some people flauting themselves here, I have seen a documentary on Basquiat, I just couldn't see why anyone found him talented, an artist. His work seemed to to be primitive vandalism. And he received unprecedented support from the art community. But then lately, I haven't seen much that I would consider art. (three vacuum cleaners stacked one above the other?) He and Andy warhol were very tight..., but I didn't like either of them. But I am still impressed with some Abstract artist's, as I feel a tug and concern for the art. It touches me, I don't know how. As my own prejudices have shown, Abstract art shouldn't have any appeal to me. And yet it does.

I find surrealism seems to cause me to think. I like perspectives and unknown figures, shapes that really shouldn't be conceived together. Kind of like dream's.

I haven't brought a poem together as I haven't had access to the net. So give me some time to do some research as I am a little busy with some issues that have brought my PC's to a crawl. See you again.

 

[FifthFlower]

A favorite image/poem of textbook editors everywhere:

Landscape With The Fall Of Icarus by William Carlos Williams

According to Brueghel
when Icarus fell
it was spring

a farmer was ploughing
his field
the whole pageantry

of the year was
awake tingling
near

the edge of the sea
concerned
with itself

sweating in the sun
that melted
the wings' wax

unsignificantly
off the coast
there was

a splash quite unnoticed
this was
Icarus drowning

I remember clicking on the painting but did not see the drowning Icarus at all, but I was a little rushed at the time. One guy in the painting was looking in the sky and didn't seem to notice either. Interesting. Why is that important about Icarus?

 

[FifthFlower]

Basquiat's Eggs and Eyes

Despite some people flauting themselves here, I have seen a documentary on Basquiat, I just couldn't see why anyone found him talented, an artist.

I've never heard of him. From a quick search, I suppose, if I had to choose, I would select Eggs and Eyes.

Of course, I wouldn't mind finding one of his works in my basement, but I would also want to sell it quickly in case the market value tumbled.


Your eyes are hot like bright red eggs
That you hold in your hand.
So will you throw those eggs at me
And burn my eyes so I can't see
The anger where you stand?

 

[FifthFlower]

Yes...and in my ponderings I realized that the cancer did not grasp that it's survival would result in the death of us both. Lose/lose situation.

Did you see Gangs of New York? It reminded me of the "Dead Rabbits' Society" tenement in a way...

I remember the Gangs of New York. The memory is pretty gruesome actually.

 

[FifthFlower]

The Difference Between Ovid and Brueghel

A favorite image/poem of textbook editors everywhere:

Landscape With The Fall Of Icarus by William Carlos Williams

According to Brueghel
when Icarus fell
it was spring

a farmer was ploughing
his field
the whole pageantry

of the year was
awake tingling
near

the edge of the sea
concerned
with itself

sweating in the sun
that melted
the wings' wax

unsignificantly
off the coast
there was

a splash quite unnoticed
this was
Icarus drowning

The ploughman and the shepherd thought they saw
Two flying Gods, but Breughel wouldn't draw
Them looking up with wonder to the sky.
They're busy folk below, like you and I.

 

[TMV]

Idealism?

I remember clicking on the painting but did not see the drowning Icarus at all, but I was a little rushed at the time. One guy in the painting was looking in the sky and didn't seem to notice either. Interesting. Why is that important about Icarus?

I looked at the painting just as well and thought that maybe his reference to "Icarus" was one of his sly metaphores. He may be speaking about the setting sun as a image that would indicate irony of it's path into the sea. You see, "Icarus" was the son of Daedalus. And when Daedalus (a great inventor in the early greek mythologies) built some wing's from which he and his son could fly into the sky, a standard greek tradegy was then, of course set as the moral of the story. Icarus was so enthused with the ability to fly into the sky, that he kept pushing himself up higher and higher. His father saw the danger he was in and continually called to Icarus, "Don't fly into the sun!" But Icarus wouldn't heed his father's warnings. And so he eventually made his way so close to the sun, that the heat of the sun begun to take it's toll on the man-made invention. The wing's came apart and Icarus fell into the sea.

And so the image of the sun sinking into the sea, after flying through the sky, brings a relationship and some irony. To the perception of the sea swallowing the sun for the end of the day. Straight writer's creativity. and very subtly, very deeply.

The moral of course is, "heed the experience of your Elder's, as they may be more cautious than the youthful. But they do have the knowledge to be cautious for the very benefit of the young."

 

[TMV]

Basquiat returns

I've never heard of him. From a quick search, I suppose, if I had to choose, I would select Eggs and Eyes.

Of course, I wouldn't mind finding one of his works in my basement, but I would also want to sell it quickly in case the market value tumbled.


Your eyes are hot like bright red eggs
That you hold in your hand.
So will you throw those eggs at me
And burn my eyes so I can't see
The anger where you stand?

Yes, I guess money in the hand is always better than a bird with a brush.

 

[Picodiribibi]

Icarus is there. Click the attachment. (hope it works; this is my first go at attaching a file from my hard drive...)

 

[Tzara]

A favorite image/poem of textbook editors everywhere:

Landscape With The Fall Of Icarus by William Carlos Williams
<snip>

As is Auden's Musée des Beaux Arts, which is about the same painting.

 

[TheRainMan]

As is Auden's Musée des Beaux Arts, which is about the same painting.

and that is one great poem.

every time i read it, it stuns me -- over and over.

 

[Picodiribibi]

As is Auden's Musée des Beaux Arts, which is about the same painting.

Excellent poem. I remember reading it years ago (for a class) but I don't really think I ever read it, if that makes any sense.
Thanks for posting it Tzara. You rock.

 

[GuiltyPleasure]

Excellent poem. I remember reading it years ago (for a class) but I don't really think I ever read it, if that makes any sense.
Thanks for posting it Tzara. You rock.

He does doesn't he? He wobbles but he won't fall down.

 

[Tzara]

You rock.

Ahem.

 

[Tzara]

He does doesn't he? He wobbles but he won't fall down.

The secret is to spread your feet comfortably apart and lean forward into the bar before you start drinking.

 

[TMV]

Icarus is there. Click the attachment. (hope it works; this is my first go at attaching a file from my hard drive...)

Well, truth to tell, I'll bow to your word. As the image is so small, I would have trouble in my youth even seeing that. I guess it would be easier to see the painting in it's full scale. But even so, I think that my description can carry some small weight as well. As I did miss the truth of the painting, I did something out of the image. Small consolation, but some for my faux pas.