Sunday, July 1, 2012

Symbolism

                                                                        Orphelia  by Odilon Redon
Picture Credit: Courtesy of Tess' Magpie

To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?    Shakespeare's Hamlet Act 3 Scene1

Ophelia among the flowers
Drowned of sorrows benign
Lamenting loss of her infatuation
Of Hamlet’s rejection of her love
Sincerely  expressed but spurned

But intrigues within the palace
Of new King Claudius now a step-father
Having hurriedly married Queen Gertrude his mother
Borne of suspicion on the late King’s death
An Apparition goading to avenge the demise

To be, or not to be: that is the question
In soliloquy deranged of mentality, contemplating suicide
Was it a make-believe or was it real?
Continue to live and suffer life’s consequences
Or to die expecting dreams of peace
Caused by ability to balance
As yet not rightly determined

Redon in readiness brilliantly portrayed
Of Ophelia among striking colors of purple, red
green and blue, of berries lilacs and violets
Now lavishly offered to the world
Within an accepted form of Symbolism





18 comments:

  1. First with my burst
    And yeah a symbol she will remain
    Of a shaksperean train
    Where all is lost
    Yet found at some cost

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  2. He did paint her with some beautifully vivid colours that opposed her death and made it seem somewhat more acceptable, didn't he.
    Very, very nice interpretation of the prompt pic Hank :)

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  3. nice...you capture well the story and love the turn as well to the artist...i love his capture of her...

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  4. Absolutely stunning. You take this and make it yours. Lovely tale!!

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  5. Ophelia among the flowers - beautiful...

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  6. I like this...Shakespeare would too...

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  7. A tribute to the author and the artist nicely done.

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  8. Thank you for your kind compliment. I had no choice the name was mentioned and I thought Hamlet.

    I normally reply to comments personally but you have no reply comment blogger as your return so here I am. Thank you.

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  9. Beautiful poem! Very generously expressed... my Haiku seems to be like a three lined version of ur poem! :)

    Bloom in the moonshine!

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  10. this was an interesting post to read..
    I was not familiar with this before but this post made me..

    Nice read as ever !!

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  11. Sometimes, for me, the question is: What part of this situation am I responsible for?~Mary

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  12. Ophelia for me has always remained an illusive sadness. Typical Shakespeare lament, as lyrical and sensitive as this poem, Hank.

    And btw, I once totally butchered that soliloquy at a drama audition. :) What WAS I thinking I could act Shakespeare!!

    xo

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  13. Very nice, Hank!! I can still remember the terror I felt when reciting his soliloquy was a requirement for a writing/speech class I took .... eons ago.

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  14. very lovely interpretation of the famous hamlet character

    <a href="http://zongrik.wordpress.com/2012/07/02/where-are-the-koi/>where are the koi</a>

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  15. Gday Hank, your words opened me to the possibility that perhaps Redon at times felt he was drowning ? Thanks

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