CCBC-Net Archives
[CCBC-Net] poetry and art
- Contemporary messages sorted: [ by date ] [ by subject ] [ by author ]
From: skuklin1 at nyc.rr.com <skuklin1>
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2006 10:32:41 -0400
Dear Colleagues:
This is such an interesting discussion. It makes me think back to graduate school, when I studied ancient Chinese scroll painters and poets. Here's what I remember and would like to share with you. [I learned many this years ago and the studies might have changed.]:
After a scroll was painted, a poet was invited to write a poem directly on the scroll. If one word of poetry, or even one stroke of the calligraphy, was not in perfect harmony with the scroll, the entire work was ruined. When both art and poetry were in harmony, an astonishingly moving creation was born. While looking at the scrolls, one can feel the art or the poem - separate or whole.
I often think picture books and illustrated poetry is like the ancient Chinese scrolls. They must compliment one another, not necessarily linearly. The wrong illustration with the right poem, or the opposite, ruins the whole work. The right illustration with the right poem, on the other hand, is divine. When it is "right," we enjoy the words and the illustrations - the part, the whole.
It's amazing to me how art and poetry travel through cultures, time, and history.
At any rate, that's my two cents. I'll go back to lurking.
Susan Kuklin
author
Skuklin1 at nyc.rr.com www.Susankuklin.com
-----Original Message----- From: ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
[mailto:ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu] On Behalf Of Benita Strnad Sent: Monday, April 10, 2006 3:35 PM To: Subscribers of ccbc-net Subject: [CCBC-Net] poetry and art
I think that good illustrations are invaluable to the reader of poetry. They help to set the tone and mood of the poem. If you are reading by yourself - silently they help the reader to visualize what the author was talking about.
Bad illustrations are a distraction and certainly unhelpful. If illustrations are confusing or lead to confusion about what the poem says then they are a problem. There is a fine line between confusion and pondering the meaning of visual information and audio information.
Once again developmental levels of children must enter the conversation. Children are ready to read poetry and understand it at ages and stages that vary according to the individual. Mr. Hopkins is right that adults must take more interest in the content of materials presented to children. Not everything works with everybody.
I also agree that poetry should be heard. Children can understand very complex concepts when they hear it read. They also can understand complex vocabulary at very early ages when the vocabulary is presented in audio form. It is unfortunate that there are so many problems with presenting poetry in an audio format. Thanks to Mr. Hopkins for explaining those problems. However, this list should also serve as a wake-up to some enterprising publisher about making more audio poetry available to the consumer. There is a publishing company, Barefoot books, and one other publishing company that I know of does books with accompanying audio materials. The Barefoot Books are often times CD's of the book and cost around $20.00 per CD. They concentrate on folktales, but also do Shakespeare versions, and opera and ballet versions with accompanying music on the CD's. These are materials that help teachers and librarians bring audio forms of art into the classroom and the learning experience. There is another company does lots of regional folktales, regional storytellers, regional songs and singing styles, as well as poetry of all kinds. They always have a nice booth at the summer ALA, but I just can't place the name of this company. If anybody knows feel free to tell the list. Putamayo Music has also started doing things for children that includes some poetry from around the world. Most of it in the native languages.
The audio experience is a vital part of learning for children, especially young children. In many ways it is more important than is the visual experience for these children.
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2006 10:32:41 -0400
Dear Colleagues:
This is such an interesting discussion. It makes me think back to graduate school, when I studied ancient Chinese scroll painters and poets. Here's what I remember and would like to share with you. [I learned many this years ago and the studies might have changed.]:
After a scroll was painted, a poet was invited to write a poem directly on the scroll. If one word of poetry, or even one stroke of the calligraphy, was not in perfect harmony with the scroll, the entire work was ruined. When both art and poetry were in harmony, an astonishingly moving creation was born. While looking at the scrolls, one can feel the art or the poem - separate or whole.
I often think picture books and illustrated poetry is like the ancient Chinese scrolls. They must compliment one another, not necessarily linearly. The wrong illustration with the right poem, or the opposite, ruins the whole work. The right illustration with the right poem, on the other hand, is divine. When it is "right," we enjoy the words and the illustrations - the part, the whole.
It's amazing to me how art and poetry travel through cultures, time, and history.
At any rate, that's my two cents. I'll go back to lurking.
Susan Kuklin
author
Skuklin1 at nyc.rr.com www.Susankuklin.com
-----Original Message----- From: ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
[mailto:ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu] On Behalf Of Benita Strnad Sent: Monday, April 10, 2006 3:35 PM To: Subscribers of ccbc-net Subject: [CCBC-Net] poetry and art
I think that good illustrations are invaluable to the reader of poetry. They help to set the tone and mood of the poem. If you are reading by yourself - silently they help the reader to visualize what the author was talking about.
Bad illustrations are a distraction and certainly unhelpful. If illustrations are confusing or lead to confusion about what the poem says then they are a problem. There is a fine line between confusion and pondering the meaning of visual information and audio information.
Once again developmental levels of children must enter the conversation. Children are ready to read poetry and understand it at ages and stages that vary according to the individual. Mr. Hopkins is right that adults must take more interest in the content of materials presented to children. Not everything works with everybody.
I also agree that poetry should be heard. Children can understand very complex concepts when they hear it read. They also can understand complex vocabulary at very early ages when the vocabulary is presented in audio form. It is unfortunate that there are so many problems with presenting poetry in an audio format. Thanks to Mr. Hopkins for explaining those problems. However, this list should also serve as a wake-up to some enterprising publisher about making more audio poetry available to the consumer. There is a publishing company, Barefoot books, and one other publishing company that I know of does books with accompanying audio materials. The Barefoot Books are often times CD's of the book and cost around $20.00 per CD. They concentrate on folktales, but also do Shakespeare versions, and opera and ballet versions with accompanying music on the CD's. These are materials that help teachers and librarians bring audio forms of art into the classroom and the learning experience. There is another company does lots of regional folktales, regional storytellers, regional songs and singing styles, as well as poetry of all kinds. They always have a nice booth at the summer ALA, but I just can't place the name of this company. If anybody knows feel free to tell the list. Putamayo Music has also started doing things for children that includes some poetry from around the world. Most of it in the native languages.
The audio experience is a vital part of learning for children, especially young children. In many ways it is more important than is the visual experience for these children.
-- Benita Strnad Curriculum Materials Librarian McLure Education Library The University of Alabama Our whole American way of life is a great war of ideas, and librarians are the arms dealers selling weapons to both sides. James Quinn _______________________________________________ CCBC-Net mailing list CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe... http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-netReceived on Thu 13 Apr 2006 09:32:41 AM CDT
