Homage To Renoir Poem by Glen Kappy
Homage To Renoir
For Claude
the shimmering light
on water and on flowers.
For you, Pierre
the light of life in human beings—
vivacity of women, men, and children
but especially the women
on the canvas that is life.
It is a beatific vision
O saint of palette, brush, and paint.
You make me bless the gift of sight.
had never heard of an ekphrastic poem. 'An ekphrastic poem is a vivid description of a scene or, more commonly, a work of art. Through the imaginative act of narrating and reflecting on the “action” of a painting or sculpture, the poet may amplify and expand its meaning.' I suppose a poem like Ode to a Grecian Urn would be one?
I got to like Renoir's paintings early in life, still do. Renoir painted women like no other in my opinion.
i also took an early liking to renoir, michael. i was early introduced to the impressionists at home. besides the positive view of humanity that comes through (for which i also like rembrandt) , i am of the opinion that the female of the human species is the most beautiful of all. thank you for reading and commenting. -glen
p.s. this part of my 'comment' did not get submitted earlier as i thought it had. i find that O is an archaic form of Oh, i think used here to express joy. bri :)
(cont.) i find palette, not pallette, but i'm more familiar with working with my palate(s) or pallets! the last stanza is my favorite. yes, it would be a great loss to lose one's sight, especially for an art-lover. bri :)
Bri, thanks for your comments and for catching my mis-spelling of palette; I’ll have to change it. Glad you like last stanza. I disagree on the O. -Glen
(cont.) Bingo! Best known for portraiture, figurative work, and his series of voluptuous bathing women, Pierre-Auguste Renoir was among the first group of French Impressionist painters. In the 1860s, he painted en plein air with Claude Monet, Frédéric Bazille, and Alfred Sisley in the forest of Fontainebleau. (cont.)
Pierre-Auguste Renoir, commonly known as Auguste Renoir, was a French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionist style. Wikipedia Born: February 25,1841, Limoges, France Died: December 3,1919, Cagnes-sur-Mer, France....BUT WHO WAS/IS Claude? ? (cont.)
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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4/25/2024 4:17:29 PM # 1.0.0.1119
Glen, your poem inspired me to go take another look at Renoir's paintings. They truly are beautiful and yes, he really does capture the life of women especially. Thanks for your lovely poem.
hi, laurie! and thank you for your kind comments. i wrote this a while back and hesitated to think it finished because of the feeling i have for renoir. but this does encapsulate the feeling, and there's something to say for brevity, eh? (i just noticed i was careless in describing the form; it's not an acrostic; i'll have to change it.) be blessed! -glen