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| Hygieia - Gustav Klimt - 1907 |
She yields her power snake in hand
her beauty twists around her arm
with cold deception makes demand
she yields her power snake in hand
not hesitant to give command
to teach it to exploit its charm
she yields her power snake in hand
her beauty twists around her arm.
She twists its beauty round her arm
its evil she can e'er command
while mind is fraught with foamy barm
she twists its beauty round her arm
pretentious beast of golden charm
together tangled in contraband
she twists its beauty round her arm
its evil she can e'er command.
A Triolet for dVerse Poetics. We are writing 8-line poems. Hygieia, in actuality, is not evil. She is the daughter of the Greek / Roman god of medicine......but I interpreted the picture in a different way.
I like your interpretation of the painting as this woman seems rather formidable with that long golden snake round her arm. The way you see her reminds me of Cleopatra - the coldness and the power maybe.
ReplyDeletethere is something about that second and third line that just sticks with me. not sure I could manage to wield a snake so...they kind of skeeve me out.
ReplyDeleteTwist & Contraband the spiral. . . .
ReplyDeleteALOHA from Honolulu,
ComfortSpiral
wielding power with a "pretentious beast of golden charm" makes me think of a politician's election campaign..love this form...
ReplyDeleteThe snake becoming so much more, the sly temptress, the power of its bite. The repetions becoming a chant. Wonderful.
ReplyDeleteWith a human at the helm the snake can be even worse
ReplyDeleteBravura! This was fantastic!
ReplyDeleteOnly snake I've ever handled was a garden snake in kindergarten - does that count? smiles... The repetitions are very hypnotizing and go well with the imagery in the photo
ReplyDeleteI like the strong language and mesmerising repetition in these, Are they two variants of the same poem or one single poem of two times eight lines?
ReplyDeleteAnd as the daughter of a god, she would certainly be more formidable than your average snake handler! I have always liked this painting and how it gives women power to wield at their choice. The repeating lines give a sort of archaic power to this poem.
ReplyDeleteThe refrains works so well in this verse, giving an almost magical flow to your words. :-)
ReplyDelete-HA
Good imagery!
ReplyDeletenice flow to this, Mary
ReplyDeleteI appreciated your underlying theme of deception and power based on twisted and tangled beauty. How often are we deceived by beauty and power? Nice write. Peace, Linda
ReplyDeleteLike you I felt that 8-line poems can have more than one stanza, or even a different poem, several mixed together. Lots of variety out here on the trail today. Your poem smacks of classic influences; nicely done.
ReplyDeleteThat is a powerful call to the power of the snake ~ You have a painted a formidable opponent & character Mary ~ Enjoyed the two triolets ~
ReplyDeleteisn't it always the evil that we think we can control that breaks away from us.
ReplyDeletehello Mary, I enjoyed your poem it rhymes nicely and with the picture, I have not got a poem yet -
ReplyDeleteAh yes.. the snake is
ReplyDeletethe reptile brain of us
in style of cold heard
hearts of survival wHere
nary a line of escape can
be found whEre trials of
error do iLLude humans
under trails of lies from love..:)
i like the contrast between both the stanzas themselves and the themes (repetitive lines) in the stanzas.
ReplyDeleteThings Could Be More Reliable
Your imagery takes the mind in lots of directions allegorical. Your mastery of the form is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteBarm or balm?
well penned, Mary ~
ReplyDeleteThis can be taken in different ways...I like the more benevolent side of her..she is someone I would def want on my side! Nice, Mary.
ReplyDeleteyou know i love klimt... this one is a bit creepy though - and you capture the hint at the evil very well mary
ReplyDeleteGreat triolets, Mary. Your lines are smooth and sensous like the snake.
ReplyDeleteCan beauty be hideous? Evil masks itself and you've revealed the danger. Touche, Mary!
ReplyDeleteMary - This poem was intriguing full of mystery - the snake charmer comes to mind. I too used the Triolet.
ReplyDeleteA perfect match and interpretation of the image with your poem.
ReplyDelete"while mind is fraught with foamy barm
she twists its beauty round her arm".........I really like these lines.
Mary,
ReplyDeleteI like your interpretation of the image. The snakes are so powerful and lend themselves more to a fearful consideration, than a charm...
Eileen
Love the repetition and rhyme in this piece, Mary. "she twists its beauty round her arm" - I thought a compelling image: much like the way some people in our society pervert and alter their natural appearance with a twisted, artificial concept of beauty, under the plastic surgeon's knife ... often to scary effect.
ReplyDelete