Framing Mona Lisa

by Mimed Lovette   Jan 14, 2010


Alas, here she comes;
reigning queen of sorrows.
Why she begged for me to draw
illustrations of lavish bestow?
Her beauty hard to capture,
on a single sheet of vellum.
No mixture of colors right enough
to lure her heart's desire.

Poise upright, tighten your chest!
Hands clasped over, shush.. cover past's enigma.
The one she solely owns,
no one dares to discover.

My mind twirls in delirium,
violent intoxication.
Might I be that chosen one drawn
from a band of art's misfortunes?
Silence, voiceless, wordless;
tranquility is what needed.
A calm composed mind to discover,
what truly lies right under.

Trembling hands quiver
with the first dab for the eyes.
Her look has got me duped
for contentedness at first look.

Time withheld with each glance stolen
wistfulness growing from the window to her soul.
Thy pupils bore straight through,
burning holes on my thick canvas.
Still life on a portrait,
does no justice at all!
I could weave endless sheets of silk,
still failing to complete the story at her core.

And that distinguished nose,
directing flushed gazes to her lips.
Showing nothing but a yearning ache
to be pursued by love's dictate.

False smile might I be brave,
to put on world's display.
Refined by years of practice,
molded by life's delay.
Is she feeling jolly?
But with a tinge of grey.
Or does she feel forsaken?
With a smile to fool the day.

Minutes spent on backdrop was nothing when compared
to eternal hours devoted on perfecting craft's prey.

Reference: http://www.abm-enterprises.net/monalisa.jpg

Special thanks to Luna and Mel who helped me turn this poem into a better piece of work.

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  • 14 years ago

    by Melpomene

    Landy,

    Seeing as I'm an "artist" or art student I became quite fond of this piece. I thought it was creative and elegant in its own way. While to me it has some flaws it was beautiful and I'd like to tell you what I think of the poem itself and possibly help you along the way.

    I adored the first stanza, the expression throughout the poem was stunning and I believe you really pulled it off. However I'm not too fond of the word "vellum" because it's a parchment and I am not too sure how many people really draw on parchment. Mona Lisa herself was painted on poplar wood, however I do understand you using it as artists generally draw on catridge paper or something similar and it's not the most beautiful word.

    "Silence, stillness, silence"

    I didn't like the line above, simiply because you used silence twice, I know you were proberly going for a technique here in representing her pose but I believe you should find another word for the last silence because it doesn't work too well for me. Silence and stillness are words which represent the same thing so possibly try and find another to do the same. However apart from that I really enjoyed this stanza I thought it was quite clever and the juxtaposition between this and the first stanza had a great effect.

    "Thy pupils bore straight through,
    burning holes on my thick canvas."

    The two lines above I adored! really clever in my opinion, I liked how you used the word "Thy" archaic language definitly takes the reader back to the time when Mona Lisa was painted.

    The last stanza was ok however the first two lines focused on the background of the painting and in a still life it was what was in the foreground that was important. The background had no relevance to a portrait.. I felt like the rhyme was a little forced in this stanza. I think if you removed the first two lines and just left the last two it would really end the poem on a great level, and if you are worried about the rhyme not be because it would rhyme with the last line of the 7th stanza. I liked the two ending lines in the 8th stanza.

    Overall I am quite proud for you writing this piece. It impressed me. Well done.

    -Mel.

  • 14 years ago

    by Chelsey

    Holy cow girl!!

    Your first stanza was incredible! You painted a perfect picture for your audience! Pun intended! lol

    You're one of two people who I can actually read a non rhyming poem and fall in love with it. That rarely ever happens to me! I loved this!! I do not like art whatsoever either, and this poem really captivated my attention. I don't know how you do it, but every time I read your work I'm blown away!
    Chelsey

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