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Saturday, April 4, 2015

ARTSPEAK! Poem #4 "Prayer of the Black Rocks"

Hello, and welcome to day #4 of ARTSPEAK!, my 2015 Poem-a-Day Project for National Poetry Month 2015, in which I am writing from images found in the online collections of the National Gallery of Art and focusing on dialogue, conversations, what does the piece say?

Today's piece is "The Black Rocks of Trouville" by Gustave Courbet.


I thought it would be fun to try a landscape, and the colors in this one really mesmerized me. I sat with it for a while -- was it a storm? Maybe... or maybe not, as those boats seem to be moving rather calmly. Sunrise, or sunset??

Then I got to thinking about all the motion in the poem: the clouds, the water, the boats. But poor old rocks... what kind of life is theirs? And then it came to me: even a rock must be grateful for something....

And how is our Progressive Poem progressing, please visit Laura at Writing the World for Kids to find out!
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10 comments:

  1. RuthApril 4, 2015 at 11:08 AM

    I love the poems you've written so far! And I just went back and reread all the Progressive Poems from past years and enjoyed them too. Thanks for all you do to contribute to Poetry on the web and everywhere else!

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    1. Irene LathamApril 5, 2015 at 3:22 PM

      Thank YOU, Ruth! Excited to see the Progressive Poem coming along... who knows what will have happened by the time it's your day??

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  2. Amy LVApril 4, 2015 at 4:55 PM

    Ah, sweet gratitude even from silent rocks. I love their thankfulness for those wave sounds and that ending that made me smile imagining rocks thinking, "Close one!"

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    1. Irene LathamApril 5, 2015 at 3:24 PM

      Thanks, Amy! I'm sure those rocks don't mean to be destructive... they just are!

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  3. Linda BApril 5, 2015 at 8:35 AM

    "close, but not too close". How lovely that you've given a voice to the rocks, Irene. I never would have thought of it. In the picture, it does look like a huge storm, doesn't it. What a scene!

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    1. Irene LathamApril 5, 2015 at 3:24 PM

      Yes, Linda, I love the colors. Thank you for stopping by! xo

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  4. Charles WatersApril 5, 2015 at 12:20 PM

    CURIOSITY
    Snapping breezes beg me,
    Rouge painted clouds warn me,
    Scattering sands ask me,
    “Why are you standing here?

    (c) Charles Waters 2015 all rights reserved.

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    1. Irene LathamApril 5, 2015 at 3:25 PM

      Yes, not the safest place to be, is it?? But how wondrous... thank you for your poem, Charles!

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  5. SarahApril 7, 2015 at 4:28 PM

    Irene, thank you for this! I love the idea of this project and this painting and your poem about it is such an extra treat for me because we will be in Trouville in May! I've been researching the artists who painted there, but I didn't know about this particular painting. I will think of your poem as I walk the beach. Thank you thank you thank you! And THANK YOU for the LIVE YOUR POEM postcard. It is beautiful and up in my kitchen next to last year's. Happy Poetry Month back to you, poet-friend.

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  6. SarahApril 7, 2015 at 4:33 PM

    And I just listened to your beautiful voice reading this poem. Wonderful to hear you which adds another special dimension to the poem. I just love this project for National Poetry Month! You are in inspiration!

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