“Legacy of an Artist”
The brush, what soft lines you have created in stroke
Your voice, trompe-l’œil at masters hand
Upon the easel do you lay in dark
Your soul, now still, living no more the dreams
The fragrance of turpentine hangs in air
Slowly thinning in the shadowy depth
Of studio now once again basement
Oh creator! Oh master! Where have you gone?
Hollow and bare of beauty that was
Your hand was an instrument, oils your note
As the music of your dream revealed worlds
Seen through the tender eyes of woman
Your view of a simpler time was woven
Your canvas, portal to antiquity
Of scenes you made dreams come true as to touch
Time continues, clouds drift across the blue
The future unravels, minutes progress
And yet on, your elegance continues
Long removed from your peaceful sleeping
Your view of life shines on in those who love
Continuing your legacy, art and soul
About This Poetry Form
Name: Elegy
Description: An elegy is a poem that follows either dactylic hexameter or pentameter, though modern elegies have followed iambic pentameter rhythm or free verse format with no set rhythm. One of the more famous elegies is Oh Captain, My Captain by Walt Whitman in memory of Abraham Lincoln.
Generally an elegy is broken into three parts:
- Part 1: Expressing sorrow at the loss
- Part 2: Singing the praises of the person or group of people
- Part 3: Offers solace and speaks of the peace or good of their legacy.
I have written this particular poem about my grandmother and artist Barbara Stadtlander who created several hundred paintings in her life.
About This Series
Read more about this series here.