Reanimated Lavender Granola Switchblade Nun rides again.

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Beatrice

Dear Dante--
That chick isn't Beatrice.
Her name's Liz Siddal and she likes her laudanum.

Aligheri didn't really know Bice.
Oh, he bled a million words, like you do paints,
but it was just woolgathering, a big bowl of bullshit.

You keep that brush in your hand, but
she goes home,
zones out,
forgets you.
_____

A 55 for Kerry at Real Toads. 

Process notes: Beatrice "Bice" di Folco Portinari is said to have been the inspiration for Dante Aligheri's writings, though he said he met her only twice, nine years apart, and she was married to a banker. 

Elizabeth Siddal was Dante Gabriel Rossetti's favorite model. He painted her thousands of times, often as Aligheri's Beatrice. Friends said "Beata Beatrix" (shown at top) didn't really look like Elizabeth.

In the spring and summer of 2009, I wrote several (bad) love poems for someone who, to me, looked like Rossetti's Beatrice, and so I gave her that nickname. It occurs to me that writers and painters may be beautiful idiots. I have tried not to be one again, since then.

 

 

21 comments:

  1. I wondered where you'd go with this. I like it!

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  2. I love it, love it, love it.

    beat rice

    She won't put up with his shit, that's for sure. I think she's more of a sushi girl.

    "Her name's Liz Siddal and she likes her laudanum."

    Ba-bam. That's right.

    "but it was just woolgathering, a big bowl of bullshit" No lie, girl. Preach it, sis.

    "she goes home,
    zones out,
    forgets you"

    Who needs him, anyway?

    Not this cute little beatnik.

    "writers and painters may be beautiful idiots" I like that. I'd much rather be a muse.

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  3. I love those who are brave enough to be "beautiful idiots", LOL. I like that when she goes home, she zones out and forgets about the artist.

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  4. So spare and perfect. Lines like a cudgel that opens the skull allowing the long suspected truth to emerge, Shay

















    ( '>
    /))
    //""

    ALOHA
    ComfortSpiral

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  5. I enjoyed your process notes as much as your piece. Really very fascinating!! But, I'm with Sherry....there is something to be said about the bravery of being a beautiful idiot every now and again ;-)

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  6. A lot of panache--I rather like Dante! But I'm not so sure about his Beatrice either. Thanks, Shay. k.

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  7. I've always thought that painting had an odd vibe to it--a woman not quite real--you explain why here, but then is any woman(or man) who figures in an artist's imaginary circus ever anything but a loose interpretation? I tend to agree, anyone can be a fool for love a few times, but after awhile, it's not an accident but a choice.

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  8. I love it! The first verse is pretty much what I was thinking when I saw the image today. *Grin.* Though I didn't take the thought to its logical conclusion as you do.

    I think we all have to cut our teeth on the beautiful idiocy of bad love poems! (That image of Billy Idol could almost do it for me — oh, what a face! It's the cheekbones ... it's the lips ... it's the intense eyes....)

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  9. Rosemary--got to love Billy. Just another lost angel...

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  10. Totally would not have thought of that - but it fits the picture and the history - great job!

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  11. Well done! Love the letter perspective!

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  12. Love it! Oh the self-importance of some artists!

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  13. Such an interesting viewpoint you bring to both art and poetry here, Shay. One of the marvels of the artistic process for me, is how very ordinary people may inspire the muse of poet or painter or sculptor and become transcended by the resulting artwork. I often wonder if these women whom the artists obsessed over were in fact worthy of their genius.

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  14. Yeah, how does that work? Can you imagine either of the Dantes being quite so enthraled with their main squeeze if they really knew them?

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  15. You an idiot? You've got to be kidding.

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  16. Beautiful idiots. Yes, indeed! Speaking for myself, of course.

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  17. cool. i'm mostly an idiot, no qualifier needed... ~

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  18. "Beautiful idiots" Ha, I love that.

    I am not aware of his writing, which makes me an idiot in need of correcting that!

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  19. It seems the artist needs correcting and his muse doesn't give him a second thought when she is free of her pose. Love it!

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Spirit, what do you wish to tell us?