Poets
are often people of few words and many thoughts. They don’t waste words but
conciously choose a number of expressions precisely and after careful
consideration. They bend and toss their words, improve and alter lines or verses
for a long time before they go on to make more. When the poem is finally born,
ready to tempt our minds, the poet is at peace: - Now I’m through. Others can
take over these lines and make them their own thoughts.
Listen to the poet, find the lines that appeal the most to your emotions and
see what pictures they bring. It can turn into textile art or quilts. You may
also write your own poetry and later make poetic patchwork from them. Think
about it!
The poems dripping of red blood and yellow oranges belong to Federico García
Lorca who died young in the outbursts of
the Spanish Civil War. He is available in English and can be read
literally or given a deeper interpretation. His work gives strong colours in any
case.
From the Nordic countries Sweden offers great poets, and among them is Tomas
Tranströmer who a few years ago was hit with a stroke and therefore is unable
to resite his own poems anymore. He is vastly translated and will give
inspiration to quilters with an urge to plunge into the deeper and darker
colours. If you should prefer tango and the Swedish archipielago in the
summertime, Evert Taube is the man with whom you should dance.
Accompanied by Finlands colours of lakes, forests and snow comes Edith
Södergran, giving you an addition of warm and melancolic colours to work with.
She is serious, sometimes sad and occasionally in lighter moods.
Benny Anderson captures the smiling soul of his native Denmark and appeals to
most people who read him. He is probably not known in English yet, but you may
try your luck with him. His collected poetry and songs is a bricksized book of
sharp, touching and humouristic views where we recognize ourselves and can’t
help smiling.
The most tender and beautiful love poems belong to Halldis Moren Vessas from
Norway. She fell in love with the writer Tarjei Vesaas and both of them became
giants of literature and translated into many languages. There are plenty of
ideas for quilts and applications for you in her narrative poetry.
Visit the library, look in your own bookshelves or go to the bookstore. You will
find something there just for you. But don’t loose yourself completely within
poems and verses; remember that the fabrics and the sewingmachine are waiting
for you and your input.
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