Starry Night on the Rhone

Today's poem by Tim is based on another Van Gogh painting, Starry Night Over the Rhone.  It's a poem that gets you to stop and think about the pleasures life offers us that are often right in front of us, if we only turn our heads.

Stars

Burning bright

Each shines unique in light

Like cottage lamps casting

Over stagnant water

Patterns made

From out by Mars

Yet may turn

And don't dare to enjoy the sky's simple beauty

People run, race

Only few receive the gift

That comes at a price

That anyone can afford

Simple pleasures won't suffice

Simple pleasures won't suffice

Starry Night

Today's poem comes courtesy of Emma, and it's based on Vincent Van Gogh's famous piece "Starry Night".  The poet Frank O'Hara said that "the soul grows in darkness, embossed by silvery images".  He was talking about the movies, but this poem captures the same feeling: how inspiration can visit us in quiet, darker times, as opposed to the bright light of day.  Notice how the only punctuation marks used accent the questions.

Full of wonder
While the quiet town sits
The sky without thunder
You bring a sense of rest
To the earth
Waiting for
The town's rebirth


Shadows creeping
In the distance
Mountains rise
And mountains fall
Still the little town waits
Ever silent, ever small


This night brings hope
To those who wander
Far beyond their dreams
For this night brings rest
And happiness
As it shows beautiful moonbeams


The only lights
are made from stars
The only beat
Is from a heart
The only sound
Is just a whisper
Until morning comes


The light from morning
Will soon light up
Every house
From every nook
Instead of swirls of light and dark
The town will be a giant spark


Is the morning really so great?
Or is the night a place to create?
Where darkness lurks
So do dreams
Where stars are present
So are screams
This starry night
Was made
For those with hope

Sunday Afternoon

Today we have a piece from Emily, based on "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grand Jette" by Georges Seurat.  Notice the shape of the poem: how it just sort of stretches down the page like a man stretching his legs out on a warm Sunday afternoon.

Sunday Afternoon

On a Sunday afternoon,
There sits an emerald green sea
of grass.
People
talk and
walk
sit and
sail,
on a beautiful Spring day.
Crystal waters
ripple,
as the small sailboats glide over it.
The bright yellow sun reflects off
the glass-like water and
makes
a mirror
for everything around it.
The sky is as blue as the water,
with small white clouds that drift into its atmosphere.
People
talk and
walk
sit and
sail,
as the day goes on and on.

The Great Wave of Kanagawa

This week, we have some poetry - ekphrastic pieces from students based on famous pieces of artwork.  This first poem by Victor is based on Hokusai's "The Great Wave of Kanagawa".

It really captures the sea's power and menace with strong imagery, some vivid similes, and good choices when it comes to line breaks.

Enjoy!















The Great Wave

Foreigners sailing:
Curiosity has tempted them,
As they went up to the wave and
Bedeviled the wave's true strength,
For they believed that it was only a legend,
only a fake.

It riled the sea.

Fog came near,
storms circling them,
like vultures circling dead animals.
Waves pushing them back and forth making them sick as blue.
Waves with claw-like arms,
Arms once from humans,
But humans that lost their souls to the sea.

The wave devours each and every victim.

As it was all silent,
The storm and fog swept away and showed only
Broken boats.