Andrew Marvell is one of the greatest metaphysical writers of the 17th century His reputation as a lyric poet is built on ‘To His Coy Mistress’, a classic in metaphysical poetry, ranks close to the best secular poems of John Donne. He has written lyrical verses, odes and political verse satires. Richard Wilbur is the greatest living English-language poet. His poetic career ranges from 1943-2004. He offered language that delights and instructs, though it does not instructs by preaching rather by clarification. One of the best love poems written by him is ‘A Late Aubade’.
In the poem ‘To Hi Coy Mistress’, the poet delves into the mind of the young lover and expresses his plea to his coy mistress to accept his declaration of love. Since youth and beauty are transient, his lady should not be shy but take advantage of the moment and utilize the time in loving each other. He farther says that if they had time, he would love her ten years before the flood and she can refuse till all the Jews gets converted. (The ‘flood’ which he mentions in the poem refers to Noah, a part of the Genesis in the bible. The flood is supposed to happen sometime after creation. Most Jews were never converted. The conversion of the Jews in supposed to happen before Armageddon). He would court her for ages by praising her beautiful features and different body parts for hundreds and thousands of years. However time is quickly passing by: Time’s wingèd chariot hurrying near’. This line has a link to Roman mythology, where Apollo’s flying chariot drove the sun. It refers to the power of time. Humans are mortals and with passage of time they will get old and die. So they should not delay any more and take advantage of their ‘youthful hue’ and their ‘instant fires’ of passion. They should take pleasure by fulfilling their physical desires and behave like ‘amorous birds of prey’. They cannot make the ‘Time’ ‘stand still’ but they will enjoy the pleasures of life with such vigor and zeal that they will make ‘Time’ run to catch up with them.
‘To his Coy Mistress’ is a metaphysical poem. In this poem, a metaphysical or abstract quality is compared to a concrete or physical object. The poet compares ‘love’ to a ‘vegetable’. Metaphysical poetry usually ridicules the idealized romantic poetry by using crude or shocking imagery. Marvell uses the images of ‘worms’ in these lines: “then worms shall try
That long-preserved virginity”, (lines 27-28) to criticize idealized romantic poetry. This genre of poetry expresses personal or private feeling and there is gross exaggeration or use of hyperboles. In the poem, the lover expresses his personal feelings of love and passions for his beloved. There is lot of exaggerations used in the passage where he wants to praise the beauty of his lady and her heart for ages. Like metaphysical poetry, the poem presents a logical argument. The young lover is ready to court his lady for decades or even centuries if he has enough time and if they remained young for ever but time is passing swiftly. So they should enjoy the physical pleasures by coming close to each other without much ado.
Marvell occasionally uses difficult language. He employs a formal language in the poem in his use of words like ‘Thy’, Thou’ and ‘Thine’. He alludes to biblical history when he refers to ‘the flood’ and ‘conversion of the Jews’. The diction in the final section is playful and ornamented. The language is characterized by sweetness and a flaring passion. The tone of the poem differs from being flattering to being melancholy but ends with a passionate tone. The poet has used a lot of imagery in the poem. There is exotic imagery in the first section of the poem in the use of words like ‘rubies’ and ‘empires’. In the second section, the imagery used is of lifelessness: ‘Desserts of vast eternity’. There are words like ‘worms’, ‘dust’, and ‘ashes’. In the final section, the poet uses the imagery of fierce passions: ‘instant fires’, ‘amorous’ and ‘devour’. There are many metaphors in the poem like: ‘My vegetable love’, ‘Time’s wingèd chariot’ and ‘soul transpires / At every pore with instant fires’. Some examples of similes are: ‘the youthful hue / Sits on the skin like morning dew’, and ‘like amorous birds of prey’. The poem is written in iambic tetrameter with eight syllables, four feet per line. Each foot consists of an unstressed followed by a stressed syllable. The last syllable of each consecutive lines rhymes. This is called a couplet: “Had we but world enough, and time,/This coyness, lady, were no crime”, (lines1-2).
‘An aubade’ is a poem or song where lovers separate at down. In the poem ‘A Late Aubade’ by Richard Wilbur, the poet addresses his song to the woman with whom he has spent the morning in bed. It is noon and the woman probably makes some gestures to get up, he tells her that if she was not in bed, she would involve herself in activities like sitting in a ‘carrel’, (a small room where one can study in private, e.g. in a library) turning ‘liver-spotted’ pages or through the elevator go towards ‘Ladies’ Apparel’ section. She may also do some gardening like plant a bed of salvia, launching, training a setter (a type of gun dog) or listening to lectures on Schoenberg. He says that all these activities would be a waste of time. He is thankful that the lady in question does not have such taste and would rather spend the time in bed and kiss him. The poet cannot imagine that it is so late, noon. For him, time flew as he has enjoyed the entire morning with this lady. He begs her to remain in his embrace and if she must go, she can wait for a little while and then go downstairs for some tasty snacks. The scene of the poem is domestic. The poet is telling his wife that it is better to spend the morning love-making with her husband than engaging in activities of self-improvement.
The diction used in the poem is informal. The language in the first section is descriptive of the household activities. In the final section, the diction changes to being playful. The tone of the poem is domestic and connubial. Initially it is argumentative where the husband gives reasons why his wife should be in bed with him. Towards the end of the poem, the tone changes, it is sweet and sensuous. The poem consists of seven quatrains with the first and the fourth lines and second and third lines rhyming. It is ‘abba’ rhyming, it is known as the envelope stanza or introverted quatrain. The poem abounds in images. The lines: “sitting in a carrel/Turning some liver-spotted page” has a concrete image which shows that his wife likes to study books; ‘a raucous bed’ uses an auditory term to describe beauty and color. The man is delighted by sensual communication which is topped by gourmet meal. There are many tactile images in phrases such as “lie in bed and kiss” “chilled wine”. Phrases and words like ‘blue cheese’, ‘crackers’, and ‘fine Ruddy-skinned pears’ appeal to the senses of touch and smell. ‘White wine’ and ‘blue cheese’ and ‘Ruddy-skinned pears’ together create a gustatory delight.
Both poems, ‘To his Coy Mistress’ and A Late Aubade’ are love poems. In ‘To his Coy Mistress’, Andrew Marvell writes about a young lover’s love and passion for his lady love. In ‘A Late Aubade’, Richard Wilbur writes about a husband’s love and passions for his wife. The theme of both poems is ‘carpe diem’ which means “seize the day”. In ‘To His Coy Mistress’, the lover wants his lady love to accept his love and enjoy each other physically and not to be hesitant or shy as beauty and youth are transient. Time is passing swiftly, so they should indulge themselves in physical pursuits and enjoy themselves. In ‘A Late Abode’, the husband has spent a pleasurable morning with his wife. He argues that his wife has utilized the time in a better way by being in bed with his husband rather than doing activities of self-improvement like, reading, gardening, launching or listening to lecture on Schoenberg.
Richard Wilbur’s poetry is witty and imaginative. It also has elegant rhyme and beautiful metric patterning. Andrew Marvell’s poetry is intellectualized poetry. It is characterized by wit, irony and word play. It has bold and indigenous conceit, rhetoric excellence and mastery of formal structure (meter and rhyme) of poetry.
Works Citation:
“Carpe diem”. 12 November 2007.;http://www.types-of-poetry.org.uk/11-carpe-diem.htm;
“Citizen Poet”. Phyllis Rose. 12 November 2007.
; http://www.poetrymagazine.org/magazine/0905/comment_172016.html;
“‘A Late Aubade’ by Richard Wilbur”. 12 November 2007. ;http://www.humanitiesweb.org/human.php?s=l;p=c;a=p;ID=29;
“A Study of Imagery in “A Late Aubade” by Richard Wilbur”. Kerry Wood. 12 September 2007. ; http://www.helium.com/tm/642192/study-imagery-aubade-richard;
“‘To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell’: A Study Guide”. 12 November 2007.
; http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides4/Marvell.html;
“’To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell’: VirtuaLit Interactive Poetry Tutorial”. 12 November 2007. ; http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/virtualit/poetry/mistress_elements.html;
“’To His Coy Mistress’: Analysis”. Peter landry. 12 November 2007.
; http://www.blupete.com/Literature/Poetry/CoyMistA.htm;
Creative Visionary Paul Cezanne
A comparison and analysis of Goya’s Don Sebastian Martinez y Perez” (1792) and Cezanne’s “Portrait of Ambroise Vollard” (1899).
Considered an artistic visionary and major influence on Cubism, Paul Cezanne’s use of color, perspective, and structure greatly inspired 20th-century art. His planar compositions influenced Picasso’s development of Cubism, while other artists such as Matisse admired his innovative use of color. Cezanne was fascinated by structure and the way paintings can evoke elements in nature. He frequently employed slight variations in color and geometrical forms such as cones, cylinders, and spheres – which he found abundant in nature – in his portraits, still lifes, and landscapes. Through the use of space and color, he projected a wide range of expression.
Cezanne produced numerous portraits, which were considered still lifes due to his meticulous insistence that his subjects remain absolutely still. However, this particular fetish proved to be a nightmare for Cezanne. Known for being extremely impatient and quick-tempered, he painted very slowly. As a result, the subjects of his portraits generally look grave and tired.
For one portrait of art dealer Ambroise Vollard, it was reported that Vollard sat 140 times without moving during the sessions. However, Cezanne eventually became dissatisfied with his work and abandoned the project with only two spots left unpainted. To Vollard’s horror, Cezanne informed him that he would only finish the painting when he found the proper color for those spots. He believed that even a single brush stroke could unbalance the entire portrait.
Cezanne was so disgruntled with his work on this piece that he told Vollard that the only thing about it that pleased him was how he rendered the white shirt worn by Vollard.
In Cezanne’s eyes, it didn’t matter whether he was painting a person or a bowl of fruit. The only difference was the palette and reflection value used in the painting. Ultimately, both the fruit and person would wilt.
The Portrait of Ambroise Vollard is a prime example of how Cezanne’s awareness of underlying structure was manifested in his paintings. Most of his later work is more sparingly composed and open, infused with a sense of light and air. The light coming from the window behind Ambroise Vollard provides this effect. As with Cezanne’s other paintings, the portrait does not give any indication of the exact time of day or season. Light streams in from behind Vollard’s shoulder, but the golden orange color it casts may indicate that the day is nearing either dusk or dawn. The background is created through perspective and subtle differences in tone. Dark tones are used for both Vollard’s suit and chair he sits on, but washes of brown on the seat and fluid strokes of white around Vollard’s outline provide contrast between them.
Cezanne was known for his use of color to evoke vision and passion. In the Portrait of Ambroise Vollard, he used dark somber tones to suggest a feeling of solemnity. However, the sharp golden and amber highlights provide contrast and dimension. The artist also used his brush strokes to create structure and lend firmness to his portraits. In Ambroise Vollard, he made use of broad, heavy strokes to build structure as well as light, fluid strokes to outline and give contrast.
Francisco de Goya is often recognized as one of the best Spanish artists and one of the leading proponents of modern art. For him, the artist’s vision was more important than the subject, and this new ideology helped art evolve from the usual religious paintings and commissioned portraits. Like Cezanne, Goya is hailed as one of the most important artists of his time, influencing others like Manet and Picasso.
Goya’s career spanned more than 60 years. He initially dabbled in Baroque art and eventually came up with his own innovative style. His assorted sketches, paintings, and engravings mirrored current historical issues. He was a court painter like Velazquez but produced his best works apart from those he made for the Spanish court.
He was well-known for his uncompromising portrayals of violence, particularly those induced by the French invasion of Spain.
Goya’s modernistic approach is evident in the bold techniques he used to create his paintings, the poignant satire in his sketches, and his philosophy that an artist’s vision is more important than the subject. Don Sebastian Martinez y Perez” was created during a time when Goya had established himself as a portrait painter for Spanish nobility. In this painting, Don Sebastian appears as realistic as possible with clearly defined and detailed clothes and features. At the time of creating this portrait, Goya was mainly interested in portraying his clients realistically without reference to social climate. To achieve a natural look, Goya used light fluid strokes and blended harmonious colors into each other. He also utilized subtle differences in tone to create depth and perspective.
Both the Portrait of Ambroise Vollard and Don Sebastian Martinez y Perez are painted using very restricted palettes. In Ambroise Vollard, Cezanne utilizes dark hues such as black, brown, and olive with lighter ones like white, orange, gold, and yellow. Similarly, Goya’s Don Sebastian is painted using shades of brown, orange, white, and gold with contrasts provided by strokes of blue, black and gray. However, there is a remarkable difference in the way the colors are applied. The colors in Don Sebastian blend fluidly into each other creating a more harmonious appearance which gives the portrait a more realistic look compared to Ambroise Vollard which appears more abstract as Cezanne has used colors to depict planes and shapes within the portrait.
Cezanne responded to the lack of structure in Impressionist works by devising a method of using color to create planes and geometrical shapes in his paintings. In Ambroise Vollard, he used broad strokes of peach, yellow, orange and brown to create a background for the subject. The subject himself is rendered through quick, geometric strokes of olive, white and gold.
Cezanne’s brushstrokes create a spatial illusion that contrasts with Goya’s Don Sebastian, which provides a rather uncomplicated sense of dimension. In Don Sebastian, the subject is placed against a flat background that appears to have no depth due to a liquid wash of white outlining the subject. On the other hand, in Ambroise Vollard, the viewer can see that the subject is sitting near the corner of a room because Cezanne has created a complex illusion of spaces and edges.
This is achieved through straight dark lines running parallel and opposite each other at angles to depict two walls forming an L-shape. Dark lines also show that these walls are separated into two colors: peach and orange for the upper half and dark brown for the bottom half. The wall behind Vollard is further emphasized through continuing horizontal lines into a surface behind him.
In Ambroise Vollard, the subject sits directly facing the viewer, but the chair they sit on is difficult to discern due to its dark tones blending with the background. On the other hand, in Don Sebastian, both the subject and chair face towards the left and are clearly defined against their background. Despite these disparities, Goya and Cezanne both employ dark tones and fluid brushstrokes to create structure in their portraits.
Another point to consider is the difference between Goya’s and Cezanne’s portrayal of their subjects. Cezanne viewed his portraits as still lifes, while Goya did not. Upon careful examination, one can feel a sense of irresoluteness from Cezanne’s Portrait of Ambroise Vollard. In contrast, Cezanne’s Don Sebastian Martinez y Perez appears complete and absolute. Perhaps the disturbing feeling of uncertainty that Ambroise Vollard evokes can be attributed to the fact that the portrait is essentially unfinished and that Cezanne intended for it to remain so. He had discarded the painting after failing to find suitable colors for the untouched areas on the canvas. However, it could also be due to the grim and solemn expression on the subject’s face or because of the somber effect created by dark washes in the portrait.
The viewer will notice that in Ambroise Vollard, the subject’s eyes appear to be merely two black holes with subtle outlines of circles for the irises. This gives the subject and consequently, the entire painting a sense of detachment. The grim-faced man, in his stiff pose and with his eyes represented as two pools of black, seems intimidating and even frightening. If we believe that the portrayal of the subject in the portrait is a direct response to Cezanne’s perception of him in real life, then Cezanne must have seen his art dealer Ambroise Vollard as a grim and daunting man.
On the other hand, Goya’s Don Sebastian Martinez y Perez appears lifelike and regal. The subject’s posture is straight but not stiff, and he has an open, amiable look on his face. The colors of his clothing also affect the viewer’s perception. His mustard yellow breeches and blue-striped jacket call to mind not only the fact that the subject is probably a member of the nobility but also that the artist sees him as a dignified and good-natured man. In fact, the paper that the subject is holding reads Don Sebastian Martinez by his friend Goya 1792″ (source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art).
In the Portrait of Ambroise Vollard, Cezanne abandoned central perspective and defied convention by leaving unpainted spots and spaces on the canvas. Two unpainted spots can be seen on Vollard’s right hand. His approach was to take immediate sensory perception and structure it into his intended vision through the use of abstractions in form and color. Cezanne, often hailed as the “father of modern art,” was reaching out for a kind of modernity that did not yet exist, according to art historian Lawrence Gowing (http://www.theartgallery.com.au/Cezanne.html). In Ambroise Vollard, Cezanne’s revolutionary use of color as tone and fixation on elements of composition are evident.
On the other hand, Goya’s Don Sebastian Martinez y Perez is a study in realism. It is a portrait in the true sense of the word, with no abstractions. Goya’s goal was simply to render Don Sebastian as lifelike as possible. During his time as a tapestry painter, Goya became interested in traditional themes and began creating pictorial studies of his subjects (Tomlinson, 1989). Don Sebastian was commissioned during this period when Goya was beginning to observe daily life. As such, the portrait contains no commentary or allusions to the subject’s lifestyle or clothing. Instead, it is detailed and smooth – exactly what the client wanted. It wasn’t until after the war that Goya would begin depicting social conditions and portraying social awareness in his work.
This brings us to another difference between Don Sebastian Martinez y Perez and Portrait of Ambroise Vollard. Goya’s Don Sebastian was meticulously created, filled with details, and appeared as even and realistic as possible since it was commissioned by an aristocrat. The portrait has numerous details such as the blue and yellow stripes in his dark jacket resembling water flowing over a dark river bed, the lace in his white shirt like fine clouds. Other features are painstakingly rendered including the buttons on the subject’s jacket and breeches, a hint of white at his cuff, a glimpse of his waistband, wisps of his hair, and the striations on the fabric of his seat cushion. Even the words in the paper that he is holding are clearly visible.
In contrast, Cezanne’s Ambroise Vollard is shrouded in darkness, highlighted only by rays of golden light coming from a window. There are few details here, and even the features of the subject’s face are not clearly defined. The viewer must look closer to see where the subject’s mouth is amidst his beard and mustache and where the chair is amidst the dark background. It is also unclear whether he is holding a sheaf of papers, a magazine, or some other paraphernalia.
Both Goya and Cezanne are considered major influences on art forms that succeeded their own, as well as on artists who lived during and after their time. They have been hailed as fathers of modern art” due to their revolutionary techniques in color and structure, as well as their individual philosophies. Therefore, both Goya’s Don Sebastian Martinez y Perez and Cezanne’s Portrait of Ambroise Vollard are pioneering works.
There are many similarities between the two paintings. Both showcase techniques unique to their respective creators and both are portraits of people whom the artists had friendships with. Neither portrait gives any indication of the time of day or season. Don Sebastian is set in a studio without any hint of the outdoors, while Ambroise Vollard is set in a room, possibly a café, with light streaming in from outside. However, this light does not give any indication of the time of day either.
In both portraits, the subjects are seated and holding something in their hands. Don Sebastian and Vollard are depicted wearing typical clothing from their respective eras, and painted in a way that reflects the artist’s perception of them in real life.
Works Cited
The Metropolitan Museum of Art (2006) presents a Timeline of Art History covering the Iberian Peninsula from 1600 to 1800 AD. The museum’s website provides valuable information on Francisco Goya, one of Spain’s most renowned artists. To access this resource, visit http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/goya/hod_06.289.htm. This page was accessed on November 17, 2006.
The Worldwide Art Gallery (2002) presents Great Artists in History: Paul Cezanne.” The article can be retrieved from http://www.theartgallery.com.au/Cezanne.html and was accessed on November 17, 2006.
Tomlinson, J. (1989) wrote an article titled Goya and the Spirit of the Enlightenment,” which was published in Art Journal, Vol. 48 Issue 3, edited by Alfonso E. Perez Sanchez. The publication is based in New York.
Compare And Contrast The Several Form Of Municipal Government
According to Bush G. (1983) in the 11th Chapter of his classical work, there are principally two optional forms of municipal government: the council-manager form and the council-mayor form, also known as the strong mayor form by some authors. However, a city or town may choose other traditional forms through voters, which is often referred to as an alternative form.
In both the council-manager and council-mayor options, legislative and executive functions of government are clearly separated. The council-mayor form operates like that of known Federal and State systems with a legislative branch and an elected executive – a mayor. There may also be a fourth, fifth or sixth form based on different flavors of appointment for the mayor.
In the council-manager form of government, there is a legislative body that is typically elected. This body often hires a professional executive officer, also known as the city manager. The alternative form of government, which is the third option for towns and cities, can be experienced through an election where the people decide to exercise their voting power. This type of election may occur during integration or through a special election organized for this purpose. Once this form is chosen, it cannot be stopped or changed except through another election.
From my point of view, the council-mayor form of government appears to be the best due to the existence of both legislative and executive functions.
References
- Bush, G. (1983). Local government in New Zealand. In M. H. Bowman & W. Melbourne (Eds.), Local democracies: A Study in Comparative Local Government. Longman Cheshire.