Sunday, November 30, 2014

Picasso's Paint

This poem demonstrates  how Pablo Picasso created a political statement about the Spanish Civil War within his painting Guernica.

Picasso’s Paint

A poem by Katherine Christiano

A country town
Both small and plain
Called Guernica
In Northern Spain
Was caught among
A fatal mix
Of war
In nineteen-thirty six

The people did scream
And the children did cry
As bombs, they fell
Right from the sky                                                                                 
General Franco
A fascist leader, they say
Was the dark force surrounding
Events of that day

In Paris, that day
Far across the land
Lived Pablo Picasso
With paintbrush in hand
He heard of the news                                                                                     
And his heart sank in pain
To hear the bombs fell                                                                                
In his hometown of Spain
He decided that day
He knew then and there
Just what he would paint
For the Paris World Fair

And so became Guernica
In black white and gray
Picasso’s ode to his hometown                                                                   
And that tragic spring day
Not the glories of war
Or the heroes of Spain
But the death and destruction
The nonsensical pain
So in Paris that day
Picasso’s paint took a stance
Yet the message goes deeper
Than it seems at first glance



See the bull on the far left                                                                             
Looking dark and serene
Like a sinister presence
Detached from the scene
The bull may represent                                                                                                    
Bomber Nazis in flight
Or perhaps he’s the man
Who gave orders to fight
The horse in the center
Expression of fear
Painted so lively
The scream, you can hear
It’s been said that the horse
In its obvious pain
Represents all the victims                                                                           
The people of Spain

See the woman and child
Though it may mean much more
Devastating results
Of a harsh civil war
A candle burns brightly                                                                   In the midst of it all
Held by a figure
Stretching straight through the wall
A light among chaos
A promising sign
A symbol of hope
In a troubling time
At the top of the scene
Is a soaring white dove
Camouflaged by the darkness
Like a shadow above
The white dove should reflect
An emblem of peace
But the painted black wings
Show the fire won’t cease

Guernica hangs today
In a place in Madrid
A testimony of war 
And the damage it did                                                                                          

Picasso’s paint spread the truth
Of war’s horrors and sins
A civil war is a battle
That nobody wins
Picasso’s paint told a story
One the victims couldn't tell
Not just Guernica’s image
But  their voices as well









References:

Beardsley, John. First Impressions: Pablo Picasso. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1991. Print.

Forrest, Andrew. The Spanish Civil War. London: Routledge, 2000. Print.

"Guernica: A Testimony of War." Treasures of the World. PBS. N.d. Guernica: A Testimony of War. Web. 8 Oct. 2014. <www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/a_nav/guernica_nav/main_guerfrm.html>. Transcript.

Lac, Karen. Pablo Picasso- A Biography of Spain's Most Colorful Painter. N.p.: Hyperink, 2002. Print.

Image Credits:

Beardsley, John. First Impressions: Pablo Picasso