English Comp Discussion Week 13
terri12489
EnglishCompPoetry.docxANNE SEXTON (1928–1974)
The Starry Night1 (1962)
That does not keep me from having a terrible need of—shall I say the word— religion. Then I go out at night to paint the stars.
—Vincent Van Gogh in a letter to his brother
The town does not exist except where one black-haired tree slips up like a drowned woman into the hot sky. The town is silent. The night boils with eleven stars. Oh starry starry night! This is how 5I want to die.
It moves. They are all alive. Even the moon bulges in its orange irons to push children, like a god, from its eye. The old unseen serpent swallows up the stars. 10Oh starry starry night! This is how I want to die:
into that rushing beast of the night, sucked up by that great dragon, to split from my life with no flag, 15no belly, no cry.
Peter Horree/Alamy
The Starry Night (1889) by Vincent Van Gogh
1The Starry Night: Famous painting (1889) by Dutch Postimpressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh (1853–1890).
-PS-6-
JANE FLANDERS (1940–2001)
Van Gogh’s Bed (1985)
is orange, like Cinderella’s coach, like the sun when he looked it straight in the eye.
is narrow, he sleeps alone, tossing 5between two pillows, while it carried him bumpily to the ball.
is clumsy, but friendly. A peasant built the frame; an old wife beat 10the mattress till it rose like meringue.
is empty, morning light pours in like wine, melody, fragrance, the memory of happiness. 15
DEA / G. DAGLI ORTI/Getty Images
The Bedroom (1888) by Vincent Van Gogh
-PS-3-
ANNE SEXTON (1928–1974)
The Starry Night1 (1962)
That does not keep me from having a terrible need of—shall I say the word— religion. Then I go out at night to paint the stars.
—Vincent Van Gogh in a letter to his brother
The town does not exist except where one black-haired tree slips up like a drowned woman into the hot sky. The town is silent. The night boils with eleven stars. Oh starry starry night! This is how 5I want to die.
It moves. They are all alive. Even the moon bulges in its orange irons to push children, like a god, from its eye. The old unseen serpent swallows up the stars. 10Oh starry starry night! This is how I want to die:
into that rushing beast of the night, sucked up by that great dragon, to split from my life with no flag, 15no belly, no cry.
Peter Horree/Alamy
The Starry Night (1889) by Vincent Van Gogh
1The Starry Night: Famous painting (1889) by Dutch Postimpressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh (1853–1890).
-PS-6-
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Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com Publication information: Book title: Portable Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. Edition: 9th. Contributors: Laurie G. Kirszner - Author, Stephen R. Mandell - Author. Publisher: Cengage Learning. Place of publication: Boston. Publication year: 2015. Page number: PS-6
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