A word sticks in the wind's throat;
A wind-launch drifts in the swells of rye;
Sometimes, in broad silence,
The hanging apples distil their darkness.
You, in a green dress, calling, and with brown hair,
Who come by the field-path now, whose name I say
Softly, forgive me love if also I call you
Wind's word, apple-heart, haven of grasses.
Apology
Richard Wilbur, New and Collected Poems
A wind-launch drifts in the swells of rye;
Sometimes, in broad silence,
The hanging apples distil their darkness.
You, in a green dress, calling, and with brown hair,
Who come by the field-path now, whose name I say
Softly, forgive me love if also I call you
Wind's word, apple-heart, haven of grasses.
Apology
Richard Wilbur, New and Collected Poems
Study for the Bouquet, John William Waterhouse, 1908
I picked up a wonderful copy of Richard Wilbur's New and Collected
Poems from that overstock and second hand bookstore I love to visit.
You know, the one in the lovely old church building? I didn't realize
Wilbur was the winner of the 1989 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. He has
also served as the Poet Laureate of the United States and was the
primary lyricist for Bernstein's opera Candide. His poetry has an
elegant, graceful quality. This particular poem brought to mind this
soft Waterhouse painting and also Keira Knightley's stunning green
dress from the film Atonement.
Hello Willow !
ReplyDeleteThank You for this nice picture and nice poem...
I haven't seen the film, but the woman is pretty, isen'she ?
See You later.
Strider was here!
ReplyDeleteBoth the green dress and the picture are perfect reflections of that beautiful poem.
ReplyDeleteAtonement is an excellent movie, by the way and KK was stunning in the green dress. Thank you for stopping by the Indian Summer Picnic today!
Is the dress stunning or the model? Yes, the former I think--she looks a wee bit too rake-ish, don't you think?!
ReplyDeleteI want to see Atonement at some point.
BTW, what happened to Dee at "Love White Linen?" Do you know. Where is she? I wonder why her blog went down. Hope all is OK.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post, Willow! The painting, the poem, and Keira's gorgeous dress!
ReplyDeleteKK is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteIt even looks as though she could've posed for that painting.
I was also wondering what happened to Dee, mmm.
Dee started a new blog:
ReplyDeleteclapboardcottage.blogspot
Mr. Sponge/mmm, yes, I agree, she is lovely but a tad more curve certainly wouldn't hurt!
ReplyDeleteWillow, Not everyone can carry off a green dress (redheads) - a very nice photo and poem.
ReplyDeleteI came to your blog by way of Gina's/bt's blog.
ReplyDeleteWhat I have read, so far, of your blog is most lovely. *big smile*
And I look forward to reading more on this blog of yours. *big big smile*
God bless and take care. :).
Olga/Maddie
That "Study for the Bouquet" is gorgeous! I love the combined green dress and poem here, too--lovely selections here today, Willow!
ReplyDeleteOooooo, I'm actually squealing! I love that green dress. Keira looked so lovely in it. And the Waterhouse! I've never seen this one. I love it! I'm still squealing!
ReplyDeletethe waterhouse is wonderful. his paintings are lovely, but i think this little drawing surpasses them.
ReplyDeleteYes, you're right. I love the poetry, the dress, the painting too. I have a John William Waterhouse print in my house. It's of a mermaid and I've always loved it.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful poem and picture. If I looked like Keira I'd probably sit up all night and look at myself. Don't you love that color of green?
ReplyDeleteisn't keira just drop dead gorgeous in that green dress? i loved atonement. i'm not familiar with this poet bu thanks for the introduction.
ReplyDeleteI will have to watch the movie. So nicely written, your post!
ReplyDeleteHey Willow, I just saw your profile image is updated. Lovely. Very intriguing.
ReplyDeleteWell, fancy that. She didn't even tell me!! thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks, mmm, I get bored and have to change it every once in a while. ;)
ReplyDeleteStunning poem and Stunning dress!!! I agree with the other comments....the model needs to eat a few more mars bars!! (Women should be curvy!!)
ReplyDeleteC x
Ps. I've just added you to my blog roll. I'm going to have to pop over more often so I don't spend ages each time catching up :-) (I'm supposed to be packing so don't tell anyone I was here!!)
How strange, one of the prompts for my writing community this week is "Green dress"...
ReplyDeleteOh dear, with my 20-20 vision I did think the lady in green was a slightly younger you.
ReplyDeleteI envy you the booksy church, tried to find Ogden Nash at the Lions club ( nearest thing to t pre loved books at hand) but no luck. Found a copy of the English Patient though.
Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI literally raced to my bookshelf with the poetry books, to see if I had a copy of any of Wilbur's poetry collections. None. Well, such is the life of the migrant. I think I own something, then I discover that either my memory plays games with me, that the missing book never was my own, or it went accidentally astray, somewhere somehow.
I am so grateful to you, for reminding me of books I'd like to own. My list grows ever longer. ;-)
I have watched "Atonement" only a week or so ago, and I liked it. Now I shall have to reread the book, which is among my favorites (and which I bought in paperback, after my first edition copy never made it back from into my hands).
'Wind's word, apple-heart, haven of grasses'
ReplyDeleteI loved this line and the way it sums up the whole poem. Thanks.
Greetings from London.
This is such a wonderful blog to read, Willow. It is professional, it is varied, it is well presented - and it always engages us, your readers.
ReplyDeletePosts like this...explain the beauty of your blog.
ReplyDeleteThe photo of Keira/green dress catches the eye
The poem intrigues
More art
and an explanation of the poet
Bravo
I thought the photo was of you. Your blog is very colorful and I just love the ginkgo leaves title bar.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention that I agreed with mmm when he wrote that Keira looked a bit rake-ish. yes, she does, that green dress is in urgent need of some meat to fill up the holes. :-D
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
I've been in that very church/bookstore! I loved that place.
ReplyDeleteYou're kidding?! Isn't it the best? I love to spend hours in that place. You must live near here, or did at one time?
ReplyDeleteMerisi, you would enjoy the poetry of Richard Wilbur. I was unfamiliar with him until I stumbled upon this book! Many of his themes are of nature and the human experience.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
ReplyDeleteI love poetry.
It is indeed a very wonderful place. My sister lives near it and takes me when I go to visit.
ReplyDeleteKeep your eye out next time you're there. I will most likely be buried in a stack of books with my head barely visible! ;^)
ReplyDeleteHighly evocative... both words and images! Thanks for the comments - Hadrian is really encouraged by the response to the new blog.
ReplyDeletewillow, you do have the enviable knack of picking just the right photos or paintings to go with the poetry. I love love that green dress, but it would look all lumps and bumps on me. Atonement is a great film and Keira Knightley is so beautiful. I think you need to be ultra slim to get away with that dress. Fell all soporific now....
ReplyDeletesorry, that should be feel, not fell! Forgot to say how gorgeous your new profile picture is. Must change mine too.
ReplyDeleteBT
x
lovely, lovely poem willow - thanks for sharing it - it's nice to find a quiet oasis in a jammed packed week
ReplyDeleteBT, I would have looked stunning in that dress when I was her age, but now, alas, I'm afraid I would look very much like a green sausage.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to stop by the book shop in the old church one day! Enjoyed the poem.
ReplyDeleteThat image from Atonement and the poem, both excellent, go very well together.
ReplyDeleteAnother poet to discover! Do you know I haven't seen Atonement but I have read the book. I think that reading the riveting text kept me from seeing the movie. Sometimes it is like that. I see that the movie of Brideshead Revisited will soon be released here in Pretoria. I shall definitely see that. Emma Thompson! Love Eleanor
ReplyDeleteThat's a gorgeous dress isn't it and a lovely poem. I've got the film but haven't watched it yet so think i may have to dig it out this weekend and make a point of watching it!
ReplyDeleteBM x
Someone needs to give that girl several cookies ... OTOH the poem needs no cookies, its perfect!
ReplyDelete:-Daryl
Just hitching ... not many rides .. thought I'd make a comment ... help you on to no. 50.
ReplyDeleteEleanor, I need to read the book! Usually, when the book is intriguing, then the film is a bit of a let down. Fortunately, I did it the other way around with Atonement. It's on my library list along with about 15 other books!
ReplyDeleteI came back for another look at the Waterhouse study and it dawned on me...if this is the study for The Bouquet...then I need to look that painting up and see the comparison. I did....I think I like his study best. The study has depth and mystery and a hint of imperfection or unrealized ambition. His finished painting The Bouquet is serenely beautiful, but a bit tepid in comparison with the study...in my humble opinion, for whatever it's worth.
ReplyDeleteStevie, my sentiments exactly! I like the light, airy, unstructured feel with the details to her face and hair. I like the spontaneity of it!
ReplyDeleteWillow,
ReplyDeleteyour post was a pleasant reminder of Richard Wilbur's poetry, I do know him for what seems like forever, though! I wanted to say that I do not have any of his books here (when I moved, so many of my books had to be left behind and, sadly, some of my loved ones somehow too, probably in a tired confused moment put on the wrong pile).
Lovely poems and lovely Waterhouse...I need to watch Atonement again..What a great movie!..
ReplyDeleteHi Willow!
ReplyDeleteI was getting a bloggy fix at work and almost fell off my chair when I saw your post. KK is one of my fav 20 somethings besides my "lamb bone."
In the LA Times Knightly said that the green dress was lazer cut and did not surive the filming. Luckily, a second dress survived and was sold. I wonder who bought it?
I love the poem. Thank you.
ReplyDelete