Thursday, February 01, 2024

Poetry Friday: James Weldon Johnson


I love this one from James Weldon Johnson (not that I could ever pick a favorite from among all these treasures.) 

Enjoy all kinds of Poetry Friday goodness with Mary Lee Hahn at A(nother) Year of Reading


Before a Painting

by James Weldon Johnson


I knew not who had wrought with skill so fine
What I beheld; nor by what laws of art
He had created life and love and heart
On canvas, from mere color, curve and line.
Silent I stood and made no move or sign;
Not with the crowd, but reverently apart;
Nor felt the power my rooted limbs to start,
But mutely gazed upon that face divine.

And over me the sense of beauty fell,
As music over a raptured listener to
The deep-voiced organ breathing out a hymn;
Or as on one who kneels, his beads to tell,
There falls the aureate glory filtered through
The windows in some old cathedral dim.

(This poem is in the public domain.) 

10 comments:

Linda B said...

I note many poems that are shared on PF and this will add to my group today, Karen. He has a power over words that made me read it more than once: "And over me the sense of beauty fell,
As music over a raptured listener to
The deep-voiced organ breathing out a hymn;" - so lovely! Thanks, and happy reading!

Tracey Kiff-Judson said...

Lovely, Karen! Makes me want to spend the afternoon in an art museum leisurely admiring the sweeps of color across canvas!

Rose Cappelli said...

Thanks for this lovely poem, Karen. I'm going to an art museum on Monday and will remember this.

Mary Lee said...

It is such a wonder how artists create

"...life and love and heart
On canvas, from mere color, curve and line."

Denise Krebs said...

Karen, I love the awe James Weldon Johnson shows in this poem as he enjoys the artwork beauty. Thanks for sharing.

Patricia Franz said...

Gosh this sounds like a whisper, to read. Thank you for choosing this poem to share.

laurasalas said...

Something about that very last line is what gets me. Its simplicity and evocativeness (?). THanks for sharing, Karen.

Elisabeth said...

This poem captures how I feel whenever I stand in front of a visual art piece - I am in awe of the skill and talent to create amazing art from the simple elements of color, line and form. Thanks for sharing this with us!

Karen Eastlund said...

Gorgeous!This is an intro to James Weldon Johnson for me, and I am duly impressed. Thank you for sharing.

Susan T. said...

So many nice lines in this poem. I especially like the old organ "breathing out a hymn," too. Thank you, Karen.