Category: Bookish Thoughts (Page 15 of 43)

Franz Marc

April 13, 2023 / Cadie

Disclaimer: This is not an art blog. This is not a blog for or against any wars. This is not a politics blog.

If you haven’t read my post on Mary Oliver’s poem Franz Marc’s Blue Horses, please read that first. I was moved by Oliver’s words to the point that I had to see the blue horses of which she spoke. I found this website, FranzMarc.org, with Marc’s history and a gallery of his paintings. I began to look through his works – his horses and forest animals. But the work that moved me the most tonight is called Fighting Forms. In my opinion, it is not particularly beautiful. In fact, it’s not even the picture itself that has made such an impact on me tonight. It’s the emotions I felt looking at it. Here are Franz Marc’s Tower of Blue Horses (left)and Fighting Forms (right).

Franz Marc died March 4, 1916. He was 36. He was killed on a World War I battlefield. Franz spent his life painting the things he loved best: animals. But at the close of his life, especially after the war began, his paintings began to take less and less form. His animals were obscured by bold lines and colors, ’til there were no definable animals left in the works.

Can you see the despair in his last painting, Fighting Forms? Can you feel it? War robbed Franz Marc of love, art, and, eventually, life. When I look at Fighting Forms, I see chaos, fire, violence, hatred, and sorrow. I feel so sad for Franz Marc who would never return from the war. He would never paint animals again. He would never feel peace again. It makes me cry. It’s been a long time since a work of art moved me this deeply. No wonder Mary Oliver said, “I would rather die than try to explain to the blue horses what war is.” She also said:

“Maybe the desire to make something beautiful is the piece of God that is inside each of us.”
“Franz Marc’s Blue Horses”, Mary Oliver, in Blue Horses, 2016

Franz Marc’s is a sad story, but don’t let it end with Fighting Forms. Let it inspire you to keep making your art. Whether you write, draw, sing, play an instrument, keep doing it. Don’t let even war stop you. Marc painted in the middle of World War I. It changed the way he saw things, and the way he painted, but he still painted. Perhaps you will have the opportunity to come out of your war (literal or figurative) into peace. You will be able to use your experiences to make your art better. Today, you may only be able to paint forms, but tomorrow, you’ll be able paint horses again. I’m rooting for you.

Franz Marc’s Blue Horses, by Mary Oliver

April 13, 2023 / Cadie

I step into the painting of the four blue horses.
I am not even surprised that I can do this.

One of the horses walks toward me. 
His blue nose noses me lightly.  I put my arm 
over his blue mane, not holding on, just
commingling.
He allows me my pleasure.
Franz Marc died a young man, shrapnel in his brain.
I would rather die than try to explain to the blue horses
what war is.
They would either faint in horror, or simply
find it impossible to believe.
I do not know how to thank you, Franz Marc.
Maybe our world will grow kinder eventually.
Maybe the desire to make something beautiful
is the piece of God that is inside each of us.
Now all four horses have come closer,
are bending their faces toward me
as if they have secrets to tell.
I don't expect them to speak, and they don't.
If being so beautiful isn't enough, what
could they possible say?

("Franz Marc's Blue Horses", Mary Oliver, in Blue Horses 2014)

This is Franz Marc’s Tower of Blue Horses. It is the picture on the cover of Mary Oliver’s book, Blue Horses, so I believe it is the work that she wrote the poem about. I retrieved the image from FranzMarc.org. I don’t know much about Franz Marc, but I think it would have made him happy to know Mary Oliver appreciated his work and wrote about it so that her readers could know about him too. How special, that she would pay such a great tribute to this artist who died so young in World War I.

Astrolabe

April 5, 2023 / Cadie

Astrolabe – an astronomical instrument used in ancient times to determine the position of the sun or stars

“Man is the astrolabe of God; but it requires an astronomer to know the astrolabe. If a vegetable-seller or a greengrocer should possess the astrolabe, what benefit would he derive from it? With that astrolabe what would he know of the movements of the circling heavens and the stations of the planets, their influences, transits and so forth? But in the hands of the astronomer the astrolabe is of great benefit, for ‘He who knows himself knows his Lord’.

Just as this copper astrolabe is the mirror of the heavens, so the human being – We have honored the Children of Adam – is the astrolabe of God. When God causes a man to have knowledge of Him and to know Him and to be familiar with Him, through the astrolabe of his own being he beholds moment by moment and flash by flash the manifestation of God and His infinite beauty, and that beauty is never absent from his mirror.”
from “Two Discourses” by Rumi, translated by A.J. Arberry

“[An astrolabe] consists of rotating discs and rulers to show the positions of astronomical objects at any given time throughout the year.” (BBC Sky at Night Magazine) I am including this link to BBC’s Sky at Night Magazine article on astrolabes in case you would like to read more (and because I used their quote). I had no idea what these were, but it is fascinating to think astronomy has been so advanced for so many centuries. The image below is a replica of an astrolabe used in the ancient Islamic world, perhaps even in the time of Rumi. Image also courtesy of BBC’s Sky at Night Magazine article.

Redoubtable

April 4, 2023 / Cadie

Redoubtable – evoking fear; fearsome; formidable; commanding respect or reverence

“Most of the nation’s fleet was in the Pacific, and it was a formidable force under the command of the redoubtable Admiral George Dewey.”
Lion in the White House, Aida D. Donald

(Yes, the “T” is pronounced in Redoubtable, but not the “B”. I wasn’t entirely sure when I read the word, so I wanted to let you know as well.)

Flotilla

April 3, 2023 / Cadie

Flotilla – a group of small naval vessels, especially a naval unit containing two or more squadrons

“Despite great effort, however, Roosevelt was not able to accumulate an especially impressive flotilla. He sourly wrote to a friend that he had scored only one unarmed cruiser, two second-rate torpedo boats, and twelve tugs, yachts, and merchant steamers.”
Lion in the White House, Aida D. Donald

Palaver

April 2, 2023 / Cadie

Palaver – profuse and idle talk; a conference or discussion

“Almost inevitably, given the emotional state of the nation, Congress stepped into action, passing a bill authorizing fifty million dollars for the construction of three battleships, sixteen destroyers, fourteen torpedo boats, four submarines, and funds to buy auxiliary ships abroad.

Roosevelt was elated, if puzzled, by the sudden activity after so much delay and palaver.”
The Lion in the White House, Aida D. Donald

(I have to add that this word, Palaver, is used in a song in Les Miserables, my favorite musical. I was delighted to find the word in my book so I could share it with you!)

Mr. Roosevelt on Mrs. Roosevelt

April 2, 2023 / Cadie

“There is nothing the world – no possible success, military or political which is worth weighing in the balance for one moment against the happiness that comes to those fortunate enough to make a real love match – a match in which lover and sweetheart will never be lost in husband and wife… I am just as much devoted to Mrs. Roosevelt now as ever I was.”
from a personal letter by Theodore Roosevelt, as quoted in Lion in the White House by Aida D. Donald

From My Library: Blue Horses, by Mary Oliver

April 1, 2023 / Cadie

This is my newest book of poems by Mary Oliver. It’s a small paperback volume with thirty-eight poems, but I’m sure it holds beauty and wisdom between it’s covers.

I studied two poems by Mary Oliver for one of my last college classes, Nature Writers. I fell in love with how she loved the natural world. Her works are inspiring. She writes about the beauty of nature and the majesty of the elements, but she never glosses over the ugliness. Love and sorrow, joy and rage, hard work and idleness all have value in Mary Oliver’s works. Her world is real, and her writings are about that real world.

I can’t wait to start reading Blue Horses and see the world through Mary Oliver’s eyes again. It’s been several months since I read anything she wrote. Here are some of the poem titles that intrigue me:

“Rumi”
“If I Wanted a Boat”
“Good Morning“
“The Wasp”
“Watering the Stones”
“Loneliness”
“Do Stones Feel?”
“What Gorgeous Thing”

You can’t read poetry like a novel. Each poem is a part of a whole, but they must be taken slowly and carefully. I’m not sure how long it will take me to finish Blue Horses, but as I find poems that I love, I’ll share them with you. Hopefully you will want to find one of Mary Oliver’s books and see for yourself the world as she saw it. Happy Reading!

Major General Wood on Roosevelt

April 1, 2023 / Cadie

“In December 1898, Major General Leonard Wood wrote to the adjutant-general of the army in support of the initiative to grant Roosevelt the Medal of Honor. Wood’s letter is, even today, the best nonpartisan account of the colonel’s bravery ever written:

Colonel Roosevelt, accompanied only by four or five men, led a very desperate and extremely gallant charge on San Juan Hill, thereby setting a splendid example to the troops and encouraging them to pass over the open country intervening between their position and the trenches of the enemy… He gathered up a few men and led them to the charge… The charge in itself was an extremely gallant one, and the example set a most inspiring one to the troops in that part of the line… There was no doubt that the magnificent example set by Colonel Roosevelt had a very encouraging effect and had great weight in bringing up the troops behind him. During the assault, Colonel Roosevelt was the first to reach the trenches in his part of the line and killed one of the enemy with his own hand… His services on the day in question were of great value and of a most distinguished character.
Major General Leonard Wood
Lion in the White House, Aida D. Donald

Finished: Rumi

April 1, 2023 / Cadie

Though I haven’t read much in the last few weeks, I did reopen my Rumi book this morning. I had shelved it in my newly rearranged library and left it there – unread – for some time. Poetry books are nice in that you can stop reading a book of poetry, but when you pick it back up, it’s like you never closed the cover. I didn’t realize I only had a few poems left and a selection called “Two Discourses”.

Rumi was very hard for me to read. Sometimes, I fully understood the meaning of his poems, and sometimes I just didn’t. I think part of what makes Rumi hard to read is the difference in language and culture. Something is lost when a poem has to be translated. The author’s original words and phrases don’t seem to make sense in English, and culture is also a large part of that disconnect. Rumi was Persian, Islamic, and lived centuries ago. I am American, Christian, and quite modern. I don’t fully understand Rumi’s culture, just as he might find mine confusing. But it was still good for me to read outside of my comfort zone. It is part of growing and learning. Perhaps one day, a year or two from now, I will return to my book of Rumi and find that I love more of his works because I have matured in my knowledge. I hope so.

I encourage you to try reading some of Rumi’s poems. You can start with the ones I posted here. He isn’t always hard to understand, and it will be good for you to stretch yourself by reading something hard. If not Rumi, maybe something else. Do you have a book on your shelf you keep meaning to read, but you think is too big or too old or too hard? Now is the time to start it. Don’t worry about how long it takes you to finish. Enjoy the journey. You may come away from it, like I have from Rumi, with a feeling of accomplishment because you have done the hard thing. Happy Reading!

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