Sketchbook: Poems and stuff

This month we take a look at my sketch book and discuss how little I know about poetry.

The other day, on a whim, I picked up a collection of poetry at the library. I had already found a book for my bedtime reading, a biography of illustrator Ben Shahn, but decided to scan the shelves on my way to check out just in case I noticed any other interesting reads. A row of poetry books caught my eye and I glanced at the spines looking for names I recognize. I don’t know much about poetry and honestly it intimidates me. I’m not sure exactly when that feeling about poetry developed or why I even decided to stop at the poetry section at the library. I remember reading the poem The Red Wheelbarrow in school and discussing all of these metaphors and symbolism that at the time, seemed very enigmatic if not far fetched. Mostly, I felt dumb for not having seen the connections the teacher was asserting. When I read the poem now, I find beauty in its simplicity and can appreciate how a simple wheelbarrow, at a certain time in history, held so much significance. Maybe being older and having known what it means to work for a living, that meaning speaks more clearly.

As a kid, one of my most favorite books was a collection of poems, Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein. My mother would read from it at bedtime—requested favorites were Captain Hook and Boa Constrictor.

The meanings to these poems are certainly not hidden and the rhyming schemes are so familiar you can predict the text before having finished reading it. In that way, it’s like a great pop song—familiar chords and catchy melodies falling perfectly into place. I love pop but there’s a whole other world of music—some of it tied to my experiences as a musician—that I’d be missing out on if that’s all I listened to.

I grabbed a collection of poems by E. E. Cummings and headed to the checkout kiosk. I certainly know the name, he’s one of the most famous, which is why I took it. His work can be abstract, mysterious, moody, romantic, and he sometimes plays visually with sentence structure, grammar and line placement which is fun, and some of his poems are rich with imagery.

I’m not going to get caught up in the meaning of these poems or get self-conscious about my level of understanding. Instead, I’ll just enjoy how the words make me feel, the sounds and rhythm, and just chew on the syllables for a while. To connect with the work, I’ll use these poems as inspiration for my sketchbook which has otherwise felt stale lately. I’m super busy with book projects so I’ve only had a few moments for sketching but did manage to work on a drawing based on an E.E. Cummings poem.

All in green went my love riding is labled as #2 in Selected Poems by E.E. Cummings and it’s the second poem of his that I’ve read. From the first stanza, we get very rich and colorful imagery. I enjoy the repeating lines about the deer—at each pass we see them from a new perspective or described differently. Perhaps time is moving forward or the narrator is recalling the many encounters that led to this moment.

I made a sketch in my sketch book and liked it but wanted a little more room to draw so I grabbed a few sheets of loose drawing paper. For some reason I didn’t included the deer in my drawings which was my favorite part of the poem. I was also reminded how difficult and awkward it can be to draw horses. I did a few passes that just weren’t working.

Then finally landed on a drawing that I liked.

A few days later, I decided to do this little sequential drawing about the deer and on the opposite page drew a flower and made a little poem. When I’m writing, I often think about Beatles Lyrics and these few words make me think of the song Because.

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All in green went my love riding

All in green went my love riding
on a great horse of gold
into the silver dawn.

four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
the merry deer ran before.

Fleeter be they than dappled dreams
the swift sweet deer
the red rare deer.

Four red roebuck at a white water
the cruel bugle sang before.

Horn at hip went my love riding
riding the echo down
into the silver dawn.

four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
the level meadows ran before.

Softer be they than slippered sleep
the lean lithe deer
the fleet flown deer.

Four fleet does at a gold valley
the famished arrow sang before.

Bow at belt went my love riding
riding the mountain down
into the silver dawn.

four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
the sheer peaks ran before.

Paler be they than daunting death
the sleek slim deer
the tall tense deer.

Four tall stags at a green mountain
the lucky hunter sang before.

All in green went my love riding
on a great horse of gold
into the silver dawn.

four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
my heart fell dead before.

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The Red Wheelbarrow

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens

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Thank you so much for reading. I’d love to hear from. Do you have any favorite poems, poets, or books of poetry that you would recommend? Please let me know.

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