If a poem could so closely represent a painting, it would be this poem and the painting “The Starry Night”. I can't tell if Anne Sexton wrote this as herself in a state of desperation and depression or as Van Gogh during his time of anguish; either way I’m beginning to interpret what she's trying to get out, though it's somewhat hidden. As I’ve compared Anne Sexton’s poem and Van Gogh’s painting, I have noticed many deeper levels of their work and similarities between the two.
Like anything, Anne Sexton’s poem has two sides. The poet uses harsh and aggressive words and phrases such as “orange irons” (line 8) and “The town is silent. The night boils with eleven star/… an old unseen serpent swallows up the stars” (lines 4 and 10) to describe her feelings yet what she is describing appears peaceful and quiet and beautiful. Some words stood out more than others such as “irons, boils, and swallows.” She cleverly uses these beautiful words while hiding anger within. With each stanza in this poem, the reader learns a bit more about the poet and what exactly the poet is trying to say.
I’ve realized art can be interpreted the same way. Each time look at a painting, you can better understand the painter’s purpose and ideas. Van Gogh’s painting “The Starry Night” is also beautiful yet filled with anger and depression. When looked at from a far, a person might see swirls of colors that appeal to the eye, however when looked at more closely, a person may notice the darkness of the shadows and the wind.
These abundant similarities make me wonder how different Anne Sexton and Van Gogh really are. Both are incredibly deep and they seem to think the same way. They recognize how stunning and dazzling the world is, the sound of the wind, the glow of the stars. Yet they want to leave and throw away their sadness and weight. It seems Anne Sexton would like to leave the world based on this quote from her poem “I want to die:/ into that rushing beast of the night” (lines 12 and 13). Maybe the many black colors used in Van Gogh’s painting represent death or depression.
From this experience of comparing art and literature, I’ve learned that the two genres fit together. Anne Sexton’s “The Starry Night” and Van Gogh’s share similar themes and ideas and from this I can expect the poet and the artist are not so different from each other; their work has depth to it and this is important. It makes it possible for a reader or an observer to gain something from their interpretation; the deeper levels can change the way they look at things and help them in the long run.
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