Flying at Starry Night
April 09, 2018Poetry Problem A
Austin Chen
Flying at Night
Ted Kooser
Above us, stars. Beneath us, constellations.
Five billion miles away, a galaxy dies
like a snowflake falling on water. Below us,
some farmer, feeling the chill of that distant death,
snaps on his yard light, drawing his sheds and barn
back into the little system of his care.
All night, the cities, like shimmering novas,
tug with bright streets at lonely lights like
his.
Starry Night
Vincent van Gogh
In Kooser's Flying at Night, we are introduced to a bird flying at night, with the stars above it, and the constellations, which might mean the house lights of the town, below him.
Far away, a galaxy dies "like a snowflake falling on water". Incredibly quiet that it is nearly impossible to hear, but the ripple it creates spreads throughout the universe, causing the farmer to feel the chill of "distant death".van Gogh's Starry Night emits a feeling of tranquility with it's deep dark colors. Similar to Flying at Night, it paints a picture of stars above, and a constellation of town lights below. It is easy to imagine Kooser's bird flying over this exact town. And yet, with the feeling of peace, the imposing black trees with their wavy tendrils reflect a feeling of death. The trees appear to be evergreens, which tend to symbolize longevity and solitude. But when colored in black, they symbolize the death of an ever-living being, just like the galaxy's death in Flying at Night.
Both Flying at Night and Starry Night paint similar scenes, and though they aren't related, they are synonymous in many ways.
9 comments
I loved the pairing of this poem with this painting. I felt that visually, the painting conveyed the imagery of the poem. However, I also thought that the general mood of the poem resembled that of the painting. I found the mood of the poem to be relaxed and almost serene. The picture conveys this in the connected swirls and complimentary colors. Also the fact that the colors are in different shades and are calming rather than striking.
ReplyDeleteI really like that you found an accidentally ekphrastic poem to describe Van Gogh's starry night. I wonder how exactly you paired the two together. Did you search for a poem to describe the painting, a painting to illustrate the poem, or did you already know both pieces of art and make the connection?
ReplyDeleteI love Starry Night and I never thought there would be a poem to put behind it! Nice work man. I really like how you tied together the feeling of peace and death. Do you think that the two are synonymous and can't be without each other? I partially do, but thats do to my belief that we will be a true peace when we come to accept death or are in death. No more worries about grades and stuff when you're 6ft under. Also whats your favorite part of the poem and painting? I like how the poet stresses the distance between us and the stars and the painting's use of different shades of blue.
ReplyDeleteWhat a well developed post! First and foremost, I absolutely love the poem and art combination you chose to explore. When analyzed together, both Starry Night and "Flying at Night" seem to shed another wavelength of light on each other in a way that is beautifully fresh. Admittedly, I had never heard of "Flying at Night" by Ted Kooser. How did you hear of or find his work? As mentioned in another comment, I too like the organic connections you made between death and peace. Their relationship is defiantly complicated and therefore quite enjoyable to ponder. Clearly, your post was very well thought out. Excellent work!
ReplyDeleteThe large, dark tree figure in the Starry Night is definitely plays a major role in defining the painting. Amid the peaceful night, the tree seems ominous. I never thought so far as to see it as a symbol of death, but I think it could be seen that way. Certainly, when reading the poem, I am reminded of the painting, because of the similar feeling they convey. In addition to your points, I think a feeling of insignificance-- that the sky is vast, and we are small-- is portrayed in the poem and the painting.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with your comparison of Starry Night and Flying at Night; I think most of the imagery is a parallel to van Gogh's work, especially the constellations and the city lights. I also really like your descriptions themselves, since they evoke such a vivid image in our minds (like "imposing black trees with their wavy tendrils reflect a feeling of death") and your point about the trees is spot-on. I think one difference between the two is that the painting focuses a little more on the sky and city while the poem writes about the farmer's experiences a little more. Overall, great post!
ReplyDeleteYou made a great choice pairing these two ices of art together. The language in the poem evokes a very similar feeling as Starry night does. For example when int he poem it says "tug" I think that connects with the movement in the sky in the painting. I enjoyed your analysis and thought it was very thorough and clear.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful discussion of the Ted Kooser Poem, the Vincent Van Gogh painting, and the points of resonance between the two!
ReplyDeleteThis painting really matches the poem, the stars, the lights. Both the painting and the poem paint a very peaceful scene. I like how you point out the twist in both the poem and the painting, that the black symbolizes death, and how the dark tree in the painting parallels the line "that chill of the distant death". Also I agree with Ana's comment, that you found an ekphrastic poem to match this painting. Great post!
ReplyDelete