Melville's Art

THE greatest seer and poet of the sea for me is Melville.
~D.H. Lawrence

Happy Poetry Friday! Today's photo is of the Peep diorama Elena and I made, inspired by Pride and Prejudice. It's our first:

Musicians, Mr. Bingley, Jane, Mr. Darcy, Lizzie, Mrs. Bennett

I tried to do the Classic Found Poem Palooza that Jone originated, but I really struggle with blackout poems. I looked at a page of Moby Dick by Herman Melville. The only poem I could come up with included an entire line of his:

give
us
all the glad, hay-making suns, and soft, cymballing, round harvest-moons

(from Chapter 106, Ahab's Leg)

So instead I decided to share a poem by Melville. (Read it out loud, if circumstances permit!)

Art
By Herman Melville

In placid hours well-pleased we dream
Of many a brave unbodied scheme.
But form to lend, pulsed life create,
What unlike things must meet and mate:
A flame to melt—a wind to freeze;
Sad patience—joyous energies;
Humility—yet pride and scorn;
Instinct and study; love and hate;
Audacity—reverence. These must mate,
And fuse with Jacob’s mystic heart,
To wrestle with the angel— Art.

**************

Ending with a Melville quote:
Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well-warmed, and well-fed.

Jone Rush MacCulloch has the Poetry Friday round-up. Thanks, Jone!