Can you see?
We are on the edge of a desert rock
Warmed by a tranquil Zeus; the sand is purely white
F l u i d , rich turquoise rises restlessly to its edge___
Replenished
by the intensifying indigo of an
Far off, it is fused to a comparably boundless, azure sky
By weak and mortal eyes.
I am engulfed in the most magnificent shades of blue
My favorite shade varies, pleasing traces of grey and sometimes green.
The bluest of eyes,
-stare-
out onto that ocean- and back at me.
In this moment,
Blue
& I am entirely alive.
Did the image capture it?
My chills in the presence of such vast, superlative beauty?
The solace of his blues, breaking from Nature’s magic; to love me
The smell of coconut sunblock soaked by thirsty skin,
transcending the saltiness of ocean air.
The absent “wow,” he breathed,
melodic to the harmonious crash of wave and rock.
My feet are uneven on the treacherous boulder
I have no fear,
If I jump
I would not f
a
l
l
My body is transparent as the water, my soul is wild
A hand rests securely on my back as I balance with the camera...
"Look how high we are."
…snap
I recently read an essay by Kristie Fleckenstein, where she discussed polymorphic literacy. She argued that creativity isn’t simply a written work or piece of art, but rather the context of the work was the work itself. The performance and motions the artist makes, the sounds they hear while creating, the emotional influences, the scene where it was produced. Essentially, what influences lie outside the frame?
ReplyDeleteI tried to demonstrate this concept through the relationship of words and image. People see a photo and think they can come to some sort of conclusion about its meaning. I wanted to show that although the scene is stunning; this specific snapshot, at the exact moment it was taken, is far more significant than it might seem. It was the sound, emotion, touch, and personal historical context that is truly captured in the photo. For example, I illustrate an awed reaction to the physical beauty of natural scenery, as well as an overwhelming conviction of love. Neither of these feelings can be seen in a photo. I created the image/language relationship through the color blue, which became symbolic to me as both an artist and an individual on that cliff.
I organized the text and white space to compliment the narrative poetry style. Word choice was mystical and at times heavenly, demonstrating both the physical height of the lens and the emotional state of myself.
It is beautiful here.... In the picture and in your soul. Thanks for sharing.
DeleteI absolutely love the layout of this post. You start off with a picture that gives the reader a setting: a beach, where the narrator stands on a large rock or cliff. The photo is calm just as is the mind of the narrator as they take in all the beauty of what they see, hear, and smell. It's a great way to get the reader in a similar mindset. You then move onto the text which is filled with personality and feeling. Not just the descriptions but the text itself seems to take on meaning and personality. By bolding and italicizing certain words to emphasize feeling and emotion. When you space out the words “fluid” and “fall” you somehow manage to make the reader feel even more connected to the story. Instead of just reading the word, it makes me visualize the act. This same concept applies to “edge___”.
ReplyDeleteI also really appreciate how you incorporate your theme of “blue” throughout the entire narrative by mentioning all these different shades. The ocean isn't just blue to the narrator. It's a mixture of different blues. And even the eyes of their companion are blue, reflecting the ocean and it's beauty. It makes everything seem so romantic and calming. Even the word “blue” is typed in blue font. But it doesn't seem like you're overdoing it. That idea just really compliments the overall concept.
I also really like that you didn't make long paragraphs but instead spaced out lines. This made things flow very well and seemed very natural. I think it seems to reflect the calmness of the story. The narrator isn't eager to explain the sight quickly. Instead she revels in the beauty and blocking lines, like you did, allows the reader to have the same feeling. We don't need to get through the paragraphs, but instead cherish each line and marinate in it, just as the narrator cherishes this experience.