Gustav Klimt's "Golden Period"

An image of art can influence a writer's art into words. These "timeless paintings" show a sense of strength and the believe that art can inspire another one's art. The paintings included in Klimt's time period of painting were very sensual to the eye. The inspiration of his paintings is what lead Jorie Graham to her poem, "Two Paintings by Gustav Klimt". Graham does a wonderful job at creating a visual image in some one's mind. The detail in the poem creates a natural flow and scenery. Looking at the actual painting is what brought the writing and imagery to life. It definitely creates the example that a picture is worth a thousand, or should I say a million words. You can tell a story with words that are full of life, just by the inspiration of an image. 

Image I looked up:

http://forestbeechtreespaintingbygustavklimt.blogspot.com/2010/08/painting-by-gustav-klimt.html

"One Train May Hide Another"- Kenneth Koch

In Koch's poem "One Train May Hide Another", the title ties in perfectly with the effective message of the poem. Koch really seems to grasp the concept about one thing may hide another's true identity or for what is to come. He conveys his theory that we should take a second look at someone, something, a situation or environment. It was interesting to know how the poem can about, his inspiration to words of the title and seeing it while taking the train. It shows how such little words can make a difference and inspire one.

I really appreciated the ending of the poem "Pause to let the first one pass. You think, now it is safe to cross and you are hit by the nest one. It can be important to have waited at least a moment to see what was already there"(the last four lines). It shows that there is always more to something than we let ourselves see. Sometimes we need to take a step back and let that moment past or allow someone to speak because there is always something else to come in life that we may take for granted. In a sense, we see what we want to see and not the complete picture even if it is right in front of us. In a way it is really understanding that in order to make the first move, you have to take a step back and take a second look because people get distracted by first response.

The poem was better understood while koch's poem was being read out loud and listening to his words and the way he read it. His short pauses between the comma's gave the poem more feeling and the concept was grasped even more. When I first read the poem to myself, I thought I understood it, but when Koch read it out loud and I just listened, you can feel where he was coming from and it made the message even stronger. I connected with the poem this way and reflected back on life and choices people make. One thing or person may hide another's when we take one look, but if we take the time out to take another look, we just may find something else that we hadn't noticed, but as there the entire time. Did anyone else make a connection?

Langston Hughes video on "The Weary Blues"

Langston Hughes video on "The Weary Blues" was enjoyable and soothing. His voice co-insides with the poem perfectly. It gave more feeling and passion about African American musicians and the connection that was made to the audience during the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance was a time when African Americans expressed their art and music and was recognized for it. The darkness, dim lighting, and soft tone in the video, as well as the silent instrumental music playing, made the era of the Blues come more to life and appreciate its mournful rhythm.

In this poem, line four says "Down on Lenox Avenue the other night", I did not quite understand it. It became more apparent to me when Hughes read it in the video. With the map given to us for class, Lenox Avenue is a main street that is located uptown in New York. What I didn't understand is why the speaker said "down". Is the speaker trying to focus more on the word down to connect with the blues feeling? Or was the speaker trying to emphasize on the class of African Americans at the time? Anyone care to share any insights? 

Poe, Dickinson, and Whitman poems

Poe
I personally enjoyed watching the video on "The Raven". The voice of each person really brought the poem to life. It made me realize that there are several ways of understanding a poem. Listening to Christopher Walken recite this poem was very enjoyable. It was the perfect voice for this poem and made me feel the poem more as well. The Simpsons have always had a way of making things a bit more humorous. I enjoyed watching this video as well.

Dickinson
The video on Emily Dickinson was humorous at first, but kind of a creepy way of learning about her. Although I learned a few things about her, the thought of Emily speaking from the "after life" was a little creepy.

Whitman
I looked at a few more videos on Whitman's poems and they really tend to bring the meaning of the poems out a lot more. Each poem had a different feel or mood and each inspired me differently. I really enjoyed listening to Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" and "O Captain! My Captain!".

Overall, I am really starting to get more interested in poetry and exploring different ways of reading and understanding a poem. Poetry is inspirational and all of these poems tend to have a timeless era that many individuals can relate to.