Sunday, November 7, 2010

illustration friday (afterwards)


This week's IF prompt brings to mind one of Robert Frost's early poems: After Apple-Picking. It speaks of winter, weariness, sleep (death?), and tasks not completed. Here are the first 13 lines of the 42-lined poem:

After Apple-Picking
My long two-pointed ladder’s sticking through a tree
Toward heaven still,
And there’s a barrel that I didn’t fill
Beside it, and there may be two or three
Apples I didn’t pick upon some bough.
But I am done with apple-picking now.
Essence of winter sleep is on the night,
The scent of apples: I am drowsing off.
I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight
I got from looking through a pane of glass
I skimmed this morning from the drinking trough
And held against the world of hoary grass.
It melted, and I let it fall and break.

10 comments:

  1. One of my favorite poems...thanks for reminding me. I love that line "But I am done with apple picking now." which I think of often when I have just had enough of something. Done.
    Great illo!

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  2. I didn't know this poem. Thank you.
    I hope everyting is okay with your health.

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  3. Thanks for dropping by and encouraging me with your comments. Let me hasten to assure you that I am fine, and not particularly brooding about death. :p

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  4. That's a relief to hear that you are coping okay with the imminent 'recharge' (though that word 'particularly" worries me a little).
    You have a lot of friends out here who are keen to see you working on all cylinders :)
    Lovely poem, Robert Frost is probably my favourite American poet.
    BTW I have ordered some gansai paints from Japan hope they are okay, Don't you just love getting parcels in the mail?
    Speaking of.. just sent off my Autumn etegami.

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  5. Very nice etegami and poem!
    just perfect for this autumn...

    Get great!

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  6. ah, Robert Frost is a long time favorite of mine. Thank you for posting this!
    Your etegami's are such a refreshing sight at the end of a weary day.

    Thank you for your comment about my dog and cat illustrations. I think after being a vet tech for so long (over 30 years) and always having them in my life, it becomes second nature to draw and paint them. Do what you love, right?

    I hope you're having a good day, healthwise and in general ;)

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  7. How lovely -- and this is my introduction to etegami!

    Delightful!

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  8. I don't know this poem, but I like the peom with the apple together!
    Thanks for passing by my blog!
    It is a pleasure to come here!

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  9. I don't read poetry often enough so it is great that you post a poem every now and then. Thanks for getting me connected back up with poetry.

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  10. Lovely quote & image! The way the apple crowds the lettering to the edge seems to emphasize the falling-away mood of the poem...

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