~Leonardo da Vinci
Mazzocchio
Today we have a poem I wrote for math-and-poetry lover Tricia during the Summer Poem Swap.
No Time for Poetry
by Tabatha Yeatts
Renaissance man Leonardo daVinci sought no poetry,
overlooked literature, neglected history. "Let no one read me
who is not a mathematician," he said, drawing his
precious geometry closer, chalky slates by his elbow,
wooden mazzocchio perched on his papers,
water-filled polygon hanging in the light.
With compass and pencil, the analytical artist
produced perspective, secured locomotion,
interpreted the universe. Behold, the human form
corresponds to a golden proportion,
abstract perfections, nature's perfect harmony:
the perfect lines in the perfect order!
He escaped the confines of his studio
and conveyed that dimension beyond earth,
fire, water, and air: the fifth essence -- celestial virtue.
Leonardo could taste infinity, see it in his
mind's eye, knots of shapes to tangle and
untangle at will. There was no rest for a seeker
of the Divine in all, no time for poetry.
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Today's Little Ditty has the Poetry Friday round-up. Thanks, Michelle!
12 comments:
Oh, wow! Your word play is amazing, and I'll bet Tricia loved it! Perfect for a math lover!
What a beautiful flow of words, Tabatha. (Much too poetic to be about Maths. :P)
He was poetic with images not words. He spent too much time on war machines, though. A brilliant man. Great poem, Tabatha.
Well, he may have thought he had no time for poetry, but your words reveal just how poetic his work and vision was!
LOVE your poem, Tabatha. No he didn't need to read poetry, he lived it. That's what you poem illustrates so vividly.
So, I wonder what he would think if we named his work 'poetic'? Beautiful reflection on this amazing man, Tabatha, and I learned a new word: mazzocchio.
Wow, this takes my breath away! Gorgeous poem, Tabatha!
Tabatha, this is a wonderful poem for me to share with content area teachers this fall during my PD workshops. Poetry and background knowledge about a great artist are blended in to make for a beautiful read.
Tabatha - what a feat! Very intriguing, and I love that you put such research into this poem. Like Linda, I learned a new word, too. I would have thought "mazzocchio" was something to order at Starbucks... . ;0)
Ah but his art was pure poetry, and "no rest" yes for he was driven in his creativity and art! It would be interesting to hear how he would respond to your poem. What a fun and entangled play of words you've created Tabatha, thanks!
Wow! What I especially love about this poem is that it's a capture of the person himself. And, of course, the point is well taken that DaVinci was poetry in motion and geometry and astrology. Well, done Tabatha!
My daughter is a budding artist. I really must share these lines with her:
Behold, the human form
corresponds to a golden proportion,
abstract perfections, nature's perfect harmony:
the perfect lines in the perfect order!
Bravo!
I appreciate your subtle rebuttal of Leonardo's own claims. I hope in the next Renaissance the whole point is how everything is connected, and that learning never exhausts the mind. Gorgeous.
(I just love vocabulary.)
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