Poem Post: Men on Pretty Women

[minoanmiss]

Two poems, since I might not post tomorrow due to Fun With Friends.

The Glory of the Day by James Weldon Johnson

The glory of the day was in her face,
The beauty of the night was in her eyes.
And over all her loveliness, the grace
Of Morning blushing in the early skies.

And in her voice, the calling of the dove;
Like music of a sweet, melodious part.
And in her smile, the breaking light of love;
And all the gentle virtues in her heart.

And now the glorious day, the beauteous night,
The birds that signal to their mates at dawn,
To my dull ears, to my tear-blinded sight
Are one with all the dead, since she is gone.





It's such a maudlin poem but I love it.

More cheerfully:


Upon Julia's Clothes
by Robert Herrick

Whenas in silks my Julia goes,
Then, then, methinks, how sweetly flows
The liquefaction of her clothes.

Next, when I cast mine eyes and see
That brave vibration each way free,
Oh, how that glittering taketh me!



I could not resist the cleavage window. \o/

Comments

[mekare]

I really like both of your illustrations. Since this is the first poetry post of yours that I've seen, just a question, do you illustrate poems by female poets too? And could you add the year the poems were composed? The first one reads very Victorian to me, and I'd love to know.

[minoanmiss]

I'm definitely also featuring female poets! And at least a couple poets where I'm not sure. The previous post's poet was Nikita Gill, and I have Ada Limon, Gwendolyn Brooks, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and A. E. stallings coming up, among others.

Let me see about finding dates for the poems. It might be easier for me to provide dates for the poets -- for instance, Dunbar lived from 1872 to 1906 so you correctly detected his Victorian voice.

[mekare]

Yep thanks, poet's birth-and-death-dates would be helpful (and educational). I am looking forward to the other poems!

YAY I got the correct vibe! It was all this "put her on a pedestal, make her an angel, but oh no she's dead now". I think the literary correct term was "angel in the house" or something (literary studies was looooong ago).

Both poems kind of reminded me a bit uncomfortably of this recent debate about how male authors tend to describe women: Women mock the way they are portrayed by male writers. I can appreciate them if they are historical but I hope to find some other examples that don't focus on the external stuff so much. Please don't take that as a critique of your poem choices! They are great for sparking illustrations.

[minoanmiss]

Oh definitely both poems are examples of the male gaze being crtiiqued in that thread. I have to run or I'd say a lot more.

Hey -- read The Janitor Boy for the corresponding Female Gaze. I think I posted it Tuesday. It's nifty to contrast the boy being defined by what he can and will do vs the women being defined by their beauty. (That said, being bi, I can't help fellow-feeling with Herrick on how pretty a woman can look it a flowy shiny dress.

[acelightning]

The pictures are both lovely! The poems are both examples of the "male gaze". The dead lady in the white nightie was worshipped because of her physical beauties, and, oh yeah, "virtues in her heart". (And that's the kind of "male gaze" I find particularly annoying.) Julia's lover gets all hot and bothered when she dresses in flowing silks that accentuate how her body moves. (I love the star-shaped cleavage window!) But, since he's not deifying her for having once been beautiful and then dying, I don't find his attitude as annoying. Julia, after all, seems to enjoy dressing that way, not only for its effect on her lover, but also because she enjoys her own body.

And then there's this poem - a very clever rebuttal of the cliches of its time. When my son was in high school, studying Shakespeare in his English Lit class, this was his favorite Shakespearean poem :-)

[mekare]

Hey great, you articulated so accurately the two different levels of botheredness that I had when I read these two.
Also, thank you very much for that Shakespeare sonnet - it was new to me and is such great fun! I can see him in my mind headdesking at reading another "my love is a red red rose" poem ;-) [though Robert Burns lived way later... t'is a beloved trope in the poets' world]

[minoanmiss]

AHAHAH no I didn't mean to imply I uncritically endorse the male gaze (which is why I paired these two poems). Now I see why you were wondering if I was going to post anything by women or just a pile of male-gazy twddle all month.

[acelightning]

That's precisely the purpose of "My Mistress' Eyes" - Shakespeare is poking fun at that trope, which was already old before he was born. She fails at all the cliched standards of "beauty"; nevertheless, he loves her just as much (or more) than the poetasters who praise their lovers with ludicrous and shopworn phrases. I'll bet the subject of Shakespeare's poem is more fun to be with, and better in bed, than any of those pink-cheeked plaster statuettes ;-)

[thnidu]

I'll second that!

[minoanmiss]

I LOVE "My Mistress' Eyes Are Nothing Like The Sun", not least because as ateenager comparing myself to these standards of beauty it made me feel much better. I have it in the pile for possibly illustrating for next year.

ANd I could say so much about your astute comments on the male gaze and Dunbar's sentimental objectifying vs Herrick's praise of what a real living woman chooses to wear (even within the male gaze there are differences) but I have to run!

[acelightning]

I never lived up to any of those fifteenth or sixteenth century standards of "beauty" myself, and I admired Shakespeare's humor (as did my son). I'd love to see you illustrate that poem!

I've always been irritated by the attitude that the sexiest/most romantic thing a woman could do would be to die tragically young, of a wasting disease. I much prefer the wanton Julia, enjoying the feeling of silk slithering over her skin, and enjoying the effect that had on her lover.

[amaebi]

The cleavage window is very appropriate.

[minoanmiss]

BWEE :)

[corylea]

*smile* I had a visit from a poet last night and mentioned that you were doing this. You should meet Marius23 sometime, if you haven't already; he writes poetry himself and also goes to poetry readings by local poets (one of whom is his former poetry-writing teacher).

Lovely illustrations!

[minoanmiss]

Thank you for telling me about this nearby poet!

[annonynous.livejournal.com]

Um, yes, you have indeed posted poems by women. I am specifically thinking of the Nathalia Crane poems. I have read several of them at local house sings (Garden Circle of Songs and MASSFILC). And it doesn't hurt that she hailed from my old stomping grounds (Brooklyn). Although there sure as hell aren't any islands in Sheepshead Bay like the one depicted. [g]

Ann O.

[minoanmiss]

Nathalia Crane is so awesome. I don't know how I didn't discover her as a fellow kid.

I'm glad you're reading her poems at filks. :) (And, thank you a lot for the vote of confidence.)

[mific]

I like them both - Herrick’s cheerful enjoyment of Julia, and Johnson’s beautiful and mellifluous language.

[minoanmiss]

*curtseys* Thank you. :)