If you’re not an art aficionado then at best you may be able to only identify with Vincent Van Gogh as the artist who cut off his ear. Physically and mentally he had more woes than just his missing ear.
For review, here’s a brief recap of the ear-story. Reportedly, on December 23, 1888 Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin had an altercation in which Van Gogh is said to have threatened Gauguin with a knife. Later that evening Van Gogh returned to the "Yellow House" in Arles where he lived and mutilated himself. Holding the open razor in his right hand, he sliced through his left ear; starting high at the back and chopping downwards so that all the lower part of the ear had been hacked off. This left part of the upper ear still attached as a repugnant flap of flesh.
Van Gogh then wrapped the ear in cloth and made his way to a favorite brothel where he presented this "present" to a prostitute. The police were called in and Van Gogh was subsequently hospitalized. The severed tissue of the ear was placed into a jar of alcohol in case it might be needed as evidence. Some months later it was thrown out.
Further, if you take his ear cutting episode into account, he retained very little memory of it afterward. Perhaps the reason for this lapse was detached amnesia. He could have injured himself in a dissociated state and therefore may have not felt as much pain as another person would. A fit of despair could have been a trigger and he could have lost memory of the traumatic event afterward. That’s one theory, anyway.
Vincent had other ailments other than the mere ear-incident. He had a history of physical problems due, in part, to his poverty and the fact that he was often malnourished. Van Gogh was supposedly also addicted to absinthe, a dangerous narcotic drink popular in the late 19th century. Speculations as to the cause of Van Gogh’s physical problems include syphilis, tinnitus, lead poisoning, Meniere's syndrome and epilepsy. There has also been some discussion that Vincent was the victim of "bad genes". Vincent Van Gogh’s family wasn't of strong lineage. Both of his brothers died young and his sister, Wilhelmina, spent most of her life in a mental asylum. Nonetheless, much of the present discussion about Van Gogh’s heath are purely speculative; mere opinions. Though some find the topic itself it very interesting, there may not be any direct correlation between his illnesses and his brilliance in art. Regardless, the masses still believe Vincent Van Gogh was a phenomenal man. He expressed his beliefs, his thoughts, and his soul in his work. When you see a painting by Van Gogh, it’s not necessary to believe he painted it because he had syphilis. Look past the fact that the man lived in an asylum. Rather, focus on the art and the spirit it expresses instead of the autism or gonorrhea or tinnitus or lead addiction or vertigo that so many people claim he had.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Appreciating Poetry: Understanding Poetic Conventions
Poems are created to express what people consider to be meaningful and memorable in their lives. Poems are written in a style that seeks also to be meaningful and memorable.
Many poems make use of recognizable and accepted poetic conventions, though many poems break away from conventions. Familiarity with and understanding of many of the different poetic conventions can help a person to more fully appreciate the meanings and memories that are embedded in a poem.
Poetic Elements
The most common elements found in poetry are rhythm, rhyme, meter, and sound. These elements are what make poetry recognizably different from prose.
The rhythm in a poem comes from the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables and from the number of syllables in a line. Rhythm gives the lines of the poem movement and conveys a musical design.
The basic unit of meter is called a "foot." Most commonly, a foot consists of two syllables or three syllables. In a two syllable foot, one syllable is stressed and the other is unstressed. In a three syllable foot, generally either the last syllable is stressed or the first one is stressed.
Here are the names and examples of some common meters.
Iambic meter has the two syllable pattern of one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. For example: "That time of year thou mayest in me behold."
Trochaic meter is the opposite of iambic meter. A trochaic foot stresses the first syllable. For example: "Twinkle, twinkle little star."
Anapestic meter is a three syllable pattern with the third syllable receiving the stress. For example: "And the sound of a voice that is still."
Dactylic meter is a three syllable pattern where the first syllable is stressed. For example: "This is the forest primeval, the murmuring pines and the hemlock."
When the meter of a poetic line contains three feet, it is called a trimeter. If the line contains 4 feet, it is called a tetrameter, which is very common. Another common meter is the line that contains 5 feet, called a pentameter. A line with 6 feet is called a hexameter; a line with 7 feet is called a heptameter; and so on.
Putting meter and rhythm together, here is an example of a beautiful line of iambic pentameter from Shakespeare. "But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?" By the way, Shakespeare often used iambic pentameter in his plays. Here is an example of trochaic tetrameter. "Tell me not in mournful numbers." Or think of "Twinkle, twinkle little star." Here is an example of anapestic trimeter. "And the sound of a voice that is still."
Rhyme in a poem is the sound pattern produced by the regular repetition of consonant and vowel sounds. Most commonly, lines of a poem will rhyme at the end of the lines. When a rhyme occurs within a single line, it is called an internal rhyme. The sound pattern created by rhyming lines in a poem is called the rhyme scheme. A rhyme scheme is typically denoted with alphabetic letters, such as ABAB, or AABBCC. Not all poems exhibit a rhyme scheme, and those that do not are generally called free verse.
The sound of a poem often is created by the use of alliteration, assonance, or consonance. Alliteration is the most common of the sound elements. Alliteration is a pattern where there is repetition of the first consonant sound in two or more words in a line. Here's a good example from William Blake. "Tyger, Tyger burning bright." By the way, that line is also a good example of trochaic tetrameter.
Assonance generally involves the repetition of middle vowel sounds such as the use of "nine" and "white" in a line of poetry. Consonance involves the close repetition of similar consonant sounds following differing vowel sounds, such as the use of "head" and "bird" in a line of a poem.
Poetic Devices
Among the poetic devices commonly found in good poetry are simile, metaphor, and symbols. These devices, when well used, help to create a picture in the mind of the reader.
A simile is a definite and explicit comparison between two objects or concepts, usually linked with the words, "like," "as," or "than." A good simile is often surprising as it links two unlikely things. The simile creates a concrete image. Here's a great example from Robert Burns. "My love is like a red, red rose."
A metaphor differs from a simile in that it is an implied comparison between two objects or concepts. A metaphor does not have the linking words that a simile has, and it represents one thing in terms of another. Here's an example. "My love is a red rose of the heart." Notice how different this metaphor is from the preceding simile.
Lastly, the poet often uses symbols in their poem. A symbol is a concrete item which represents an idea or feeling. The use of a symbol gives the symbolic item a deeper meaning and creates another type of picture in the reader's mind. In Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken," the forked road represents choices in life and is an easily understood symbol.
Conclusion
Understanding the most common elements and devices used in poetry helps the reader to more greatly appreciate the work of the poet. Understanding the elements and devices also helps the poet to be able to convey their meanings and memories to the reader in wonderful, poetic ways.
Many poems make use of recognizable and accepted poetic conventions, though many poems break away from conventions. Familiarity with and understanding of many of the different poetic conventions can help a person to more fully appreciate the meanings and memories that are embedded in a poem.
Poetic Elements
The most common elements found in poetry are rhythm, rhyme, meter, and sound. These elements are what make poetry recognizably different from prose.
The rhythm in a poem comes from the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables and from the number of syllables in a line. Rhythm gives the lines of the poem movement and conveys a musical design.
The basic unit of meter is called a "foot." Most commonly, a foot consists of two syllables or three syllables. In a two syllable foot, one syllable is stressed and the other is unstressed. In a three syllable foot, generally either the last syllable is stressed or the first one is stressed.
Here are the names and examples of some common meters.
Iambic meter has the two syllable pattern of one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. For example: "That time of year thou mayest in me behold."
Trochaic meter is the opposite of iambic meter. A trochaic foot stresses the first syllable. For example: "Twinkle, twinkle little star."
Anapestic meter is a three syllable pattern with the third syllable receiving the stress. For example: "And the sound of a voice that is still."
Dactylic meter is a three syllable pattern where the first syllable is stressed. For example: "This is the forest primeval, the murmuring pines and the hemlock."
When the meter of a poetic line contains three feet, it is called a trimeter. If the line contains 4 feet, it is called a tetrameter, which is very common. Another common meter is the line that contains 5 feet, called a pentameter. A line with 6 feet is called a hexameter; a line with 7 feet is called a heptameter; and so on.
Putting meter and rhythm together, here is an example of a beautiful line of iambic pentameter from Shakespeare. "But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?" By the way, Shakespeare often used iambic pentameter in his plays. Here is an example of trochaic tetrameter. "Tell me not in mournful numbers." Or think of "Twinkle, twinkle little star." Here is an example of anapestic trimeter. "And the sound of a voice that is still."
Rhyme in a poem is the sound pattern produced by the regular repetition of consonant and vowel sounds. Most commonly, lines of a poem will rhyme at the end of the lines. When a rhyme occurs within a single line, it is called an internal rhyme. The sound pattern created by rhyming lines in a poem is called the rhyme scheme. A rhyme scheme is typically denoted with alphabetic letters, such as ABAB, or AABBCC. Not all poems exhibit a rhyme scheme, and those that do not are generally called free verse.
The sound of a poem often is created by the use of alliteration, assonance, or consonance. Alliteration is the most common of the sound elements. Alliteration is a pattern where there is repetition of the first consonant sound in two or more words in a line. Here's a good example from William Blake. "Tyger, Tyger burning bright." By the way, that line is also a good example of trochaic tetrameter.
Assonance generally involves the repetition of middle vowel sounds such as the use of "nine" and "white" in a line of poetry. Consonance involves the close repetition of similar consonant sounds following differing vowel sounds, such as the use of "head" and "bird" in a line of a poem.
Poetic Devices
Among the poetic devices commonly found in good poetry are simile, metaphor, and symbols. These devices, when well used, help to create a picture in the mind of the reader.
A simile is a definite and explicit comparison between two objects or concepts, usually linked with the words, "like," "as," or "than." A good simile is often surprising as it links two unlikely things. The simile creates a concrete image. Here's a great example from Robert Burns. "My love is like a red, red rose."
A metaphor differs from a simile in that it is an implied comparison between two objects or concepts. A metaphor does not have the linking words that a simile has, and it represents one thing in terms of another. Here's an example. "My love is a red rose of the heart." Notice how different this metaphor is from the preceding simile.
Lastly, the poet often uses symbols in their poem. A symbol is a concrete item which represents an idea or feeling. The use of a symbol gives the symbolic item a deeper meaning and creates another type of picture in the reader's mind. In Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken," the forked road represents choices in life and is an easily understood symbol.
Conclusion
Understanding the most common elements and devices used in poetry helps the reader to more greatly appreciate the work of the poet. Understanding the elements and devices also helps the poet to be able to convey their meanings and memories to the reader in wonderful, poetic ways.
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