In our recent explorations of modernism, the poem which resonated with me the most was The Great Figure by William Carlos Williams. The genius of this poem lies in Willams’ ability to combine imagism and the power of description to capture extremely visual urban landscape in this free verse poem. 

The poem reads:

Among the rain

and lights

I saw the figure 5

in gold

on a red

firetruck

moving

tense

unheeded

to gong clangs

siren howls

and wheels rumbling

through the dark city.

With emphasis on the ornate gold numerical figure ‘5’ at the heart of the poem, it is offset against the dynamic contrasting colour red of the fire truck and also the reference to light and depicts the familiarity of chaos and frenzy of modern urban civilization. The tension, speed and movement within the poem creates a sense of drama and action to express a unique perspective and experience when encountering a familiar object, even if it is only present momentarily. 

This poem captures the atmosphere of a particular moment in time and the instantaneous impression of the fire engine creates a sense from admiration to fear, distress to relief. Although this poem doesn’t hinge on an emotional response it does highly appeal to the imagination and scenes. 

My connection with this poem was amplified when observing the artwork I Saw the Figure 5 in Gold by Charles Demuth, 1928. The artwork truly reflects the bold and vibrant visual elements as described by Willams. The bold gold five repeated three times which gets progressively smaller moving away as though it was moving away from the viewer, contrasted with the red fire truck in abstracted forms illustrates speed and movement through the streets of New York City. The monochromatic tones encapsulating the darkness of night and the noise of the city amongst the rain.

Unlike traditional poetry, I felt it captures the scene and atmosphere of its unconventional subject matter and captures the development of writing and poetry in connection with modernism and this is why it resonated with me the most. 

Work Cited

Image sourced https://michaelgriffith1.com/2017/09/22/american-modernism/

If you have seen the film A Quiet Passion write a brief review of the film saying how it has opened your eyes to the kind of poet Emily Dickinson was.

The film A Quiet Passion is a visual depiction of the life of an iconic American poet, Emily Dickinson. Unrecognized for her writing during her life, Dickinson was a prolific poet who had fewer than a dozen works published while she was alive. The first volume of her poetry was published four years after her death in 1886. Starring Cynthia Nixon, the film pays homage to Dickinson and her profound influence on 19th century American literature. Set in her hometown of Amherst, Massachusetts, the film is a recount of her life as it has been documented and captures the essence of the woman behind the poetry. The powerful sentiments of her works are prevalent throughout the film and Dickinson is portrayed as a strong-willed, opinionated, defiant and captivating woman with a mindset ahead of her time with. 

Unlike her mother, who represented the passive wife of a domineering husband, Dickinson was provocative in her expression and would often challenge societal standards and gender conventions. She was unafraid to acknowledge topics of injustice such as the realities of the civil war and slavery. Undeniably a revolutionary writer she was unafraid to press for truth, challenged the social norms and was immersed with matters of the soul. Dickinson lived a reclusive life yet she wrote with such conviction, insight, and wisdom about relevant themes including nature, love, pain, marriage, suffering, God, religion, death and immortality.  

The portrait of her life captures the sensitive, vulnerable, inspiring and authentic poet who sits in the candlelight, alone with only her thoughts, as the rest of the world sleeps. Her art is in her ability to project her thoughts, emotions, struggles, and sadness as she experienced loss, grief and isolation. The delicately voiced poems recited throughout the film connect the viewer to her emotional state in the passage of time.

A Quiet Passion illustrates the reality, truth and life experience which inspired the innovative words and poems the world has come to love. This film amplifies my personal appreciation, not only for the beautifully crafted poems, but also the author’s personal struggle, internal afflictions, and challenges which she had to overcome. It is fair to say that Emily Dickinson had a unique point of view and was one of the first feminists of her time.

Work Cited

Image sourced from https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/04/24/a-quiet-passion-and-the-fate-of-the-furious