Tuesday, February 24, 2009

In Flanders Fields



I immediately thought of this beautiful and haunting poem by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae when I came across Tayloe White's striking poppy paintings. For those of you that don't know about this poem it was composed in the Spring of 1915 in memoriam of the terrible battle at the Ypres salient during WW1:

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.


I think I'm on a red streak here.... I can't get enough of it! I'm loving big bold colors. Tayloe White's work can be seen at Rohm Gallery in New Orleans.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

That is a wonderful picture to go with that poem - melancholy and hope too!