From: Barbara Scotto <barbara_scotto>
Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2003 10:52:55 -0400

On the whole, I prefer pictures that don't "spell out" the whole poem.? That approach reminds me of those awful guys on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE who literally act out every line of a song."

As I have followed this discussion, I've realized that my uneasiness with illustrated poetry occurs when an artist illustrates a whole non-narrative poem as if it were the complete text of a book. In doing so, the artist gives a visual interpretation that seems to preclude other interpretations.
        On the other hand, if the poem is written as a narrative poem (The Highwayman, for example, which was illustrated beautifully by Charles Mikolaycak), then it seems to me that the illustrator can have a go at it.
 Since the purpose of the poem is to tell a story, the illustrations will generally not attempt to change the meaning. Of course, one might say that "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening" tells a story, but the poem was not expressly written to tell the story. Frost is expressing a feeling, an emotion, a deeper meaning, and the story is only incidental to this. When it is illustrated as a picture book (as Susan Jeffers did), the story becomes the main focus, which is contrary to Frost's intention.

Barbara

Barbara Scotto Michael Driscoll School Brookline, MA
Received on Fri 25 Apr 2003 09:52:55 AM CDT