Historians have a word for Germans who joined the Nazi party, not because they hated Jews, but out of a hope for restored patriotism, or a sense of economic anxiety, or a hope to preserves their religious values, or dislike of their opponents, or raw political opportunism, or convenience, or ignorance, or greed. That word is “Nazi.” Nobody cares about their motives anymore. They joined what they joined. They lent their support and their moral approval. And, in doing so, they bound themselves to everything that came after. Who cares anymore what particular know they used in the binding.
A.R. Moxon
Stormy Sea, Emil Nolde, watercolor, paper (1930?)
hellbound
island fire with secret sins
refugee cast, lemon wind
billow blacks abut sunset
fiery wraith, bright silhouette
lurching cradle, last lullaby
blue-dream abyss, final cry
briny foam billows soul unfit
eternal grave, hell’s frigid pit
Melissa is today’s host for dVerse’ Poetics. Melissa says:
choose one of the given artworks and write an ekphrastic poem, using colors (or lack of color) in it.
- Before you link up, please read this article about artist Emil Nolde.
- After you read, I want you to look at the art again, with new eyes. You may choose to simply answer the following questions, use them as starting points for an ‘after’ poem, or do nothing at all.
- I’d like to know: Are the colors and feelings the same? Does the artwork have a new story? And, finally, are we separate from what we create?
- When you are finished, please enter your poem into Mr. Linky
AFTERWORD:
After reading about this very talented artist, I got goosebumps at how my poem seems to be a post-mortem epitaph for him.
I remember how many Woody Allen movies I watched and loved – and then finding out he took naked pictures of his significant other’s adopted daughter when she was a child and later married her. The feeling of disappointment and rage at this genius with the new knowledge has faded over the years; yet I have never again watched another Woody Allen film. Further, those who have since chosen to act in his films are also crossed off of my watch list. I can’t deny the creative genius that Nolde and Allen have. I also will not shrink from calling them evil bastards whose souls will inhabit the eternal grave of hell’s frigid pit.
Tao Talk 
Great painting
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“lurching cradle, last lullaby
blue-dream abyss, final cry”
You’ve honed in on the eeriness of the artwork I think. I appreciate your perspective. Talent can be possessed by both good and bad people. I read about Angela Merkel taking his paintings down from her office, and thought I’d probably do the same thing.
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The dude was the worst kind of monster. One that vacillated with the political climate and tried to capitalize on it, no matter who got hurt. I do think it is eerie how the poem reflected on him before knowing anything about him! I really would like to know what he was thinking when he did that one and the (self) portrait. Another one to add to my TMBL
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I sort of had the opposite experience. Before knowing much about him, I didn’t see as much in the painting I chose. After learning about him, I saw a much deeper sadness. Like someone tortured and hated was staring back at me. After all, most people who hate and torture, suffered some sort of trauma themselves.
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Thanks for sharing your experience, Melissa. I can acknowledge that aspect of him, but it doesn’t mean I feel any differently about him. Some people are beyond (my) redemption.
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Agreed!
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This is a chilling and powerful piece, Lisa. And I hear you on the abstaining from Allen films. I had a similar experience when recently discovering that the late German conductor Herbert von Karajan, a longtime family and personal favourite, had belonged to the Nazi party, ingratiating himself to it and performing Nazi favourites at his concerts. I won’t remove the posts of pieces he conducted, but as much as I loved his style, I won’t share any more.
I know many people don’t believe we should penalize artists for their political stances, but when they do evil deeds or cozy up to evil people, yeah, no.
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Steve, I appreciate you sharing your thoughts on art and artist. I can only imagine how disappointed you were to learn what you did about von Karajan. To me there is an aesthetic contradiction between those who can create so much beauty in the world yet live evil. I can’t reconcile that the two exist simultaneously :(
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Thank you, Lisa. It was indeed disappointing. I really like the way you sum it up so succinctly.
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<3
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💙
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A strong poem and equally strong commentary, Lisa. Evil will be returned to hell in the end.
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Lynn, thanks for reading and your comment.
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Interesting poem, which I assume was from before you read the article. I didn’t know this artist, and after reading the article, I do not want to see any more of his paintings. That he was a proud Nazi is terrible; that he was an unrepentant proud Nazi is worse; that he tried to ride any political wave like a surfer sinks him even lower.
I have not watched any Woody Allen flicks since the details of his affair with his stepchild came out, not even old favorites like “Annie Hall”, but I not have special dislike of him. Well, he is a creepy person and I’d never invite him to tea (or accept if he invited me), but I wouldn’t black list someone for appearing in one of his movies.
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Trent, sharing your thoughts about it are appreciated. I think it is up to the individual to choose what they will or will not do. I do think there is a difference between a person making one poor choice and a person like Nolde or Allen basing a lifestyle on such choices. I don’t see hell as flames because flames can warm. Hell is a cold place, deep in ocean trenches, where one can never get warm.
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p.s. Yes, I wrote the poem, based on the image, before reading the article on the artist. I wrote the afterword after reading the article.
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It’s a continual debate–can we separate the art from the artist? I feel the same way about Woody Allen, but the list of male artists who have exploited or abused women/girls is long. It’s often difficult to know where and how to draw the line.
I also knew that in a surface way about Nolde, but I will have to read the article. it’s hard to find anything good to say about those who embrace Nazism. It’s a powerful painting, and your words capture its essence. (K)
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I know what you mean about the long list, but why draw the line at abusive/exploitive artists? Men. Period. Who have exploited women and children of all genders and other men as well. I’ve had enough.
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I feel a lot that way too.
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Very well written and expressed, Lisa. It is very hard to separate the two.
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Thank you, Dwight. Yes, it is. Looking at this artist’s work, karma was doing its job on him.
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You are welcome. I wonder how some people live with themselves with such attitudes!
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I like the rhyme scheme. And it does feel like a fitting epitaph for the artist.
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Thanks much, Stew.
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Enjoyed the thundering verse and your words afterwards too, and they worked so well together. Great presentation…the artist maybe technically committed no crime, but of course Woody Allen legally, morally did, against humanity. In fact it is not worth discussing, in my mind…it simply is not possible to watch his films, whether I think it is ok to or not, all the interest and motivation has gone. The philosophical question is infuriating for me. Fof god’s sake man, you do not kill someone because you are angry. You don’t molest. But here it goes even further, of course…there is a word for it in Britain, the ‘grooming’ of young girls. He can never, ever make any kind of claim that this is about any kind of love.
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the matter, Ain. I just recently learned that Elon Musk’s dad did the same thing with his stepdaughter :( Sad to say, but “there’s a lot of it about.”
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Ye Gods….a lot to put it mildly yes. It is sad, tragic, awful and appalling. As abhorrent as it is, because for the victim I just cannot imagine how much it destroys, I like to think is not too common, but I had a girlfriend years ago who was molested by her father, and know a friend
molested by her elder brother, she never stops drinking, ever. I also had an employee, a woman of the same kind so I hate to think of the figures for this, because the stories I have heard of religious institutions in Scotland and Ireland are so full of horror I have difficulty sometimes accepting the idea that these countries are “nice,” It is also the cover-ups that get to me.
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:( yes
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Bravo Li! I share the same sentiments.
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Sadje, thank you. There are some things one cannot be silent about.
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Absolutely right my friend
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<3
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❤️❤️❤️
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Nolde was hellbound indeed, Lisa, and I like how you traced that journey. I found it hard to choose a painting as I didn’t like any of them, so I chose the seascape. I don’t even think he was a great artist, rather like Hitler, and he was turned away from art colleges before he became better known, just like Hitler. I agree about Allen; I haven’t watched any of his films since learning about his perversity.
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Kim, thank you so much for sharing the additional info about this artist and “the other one.” It’s funny you mention deciding on which painting to write to. I like the first one best but I refused to write anything “green” to this monster. Instead I chose the one I liked least and immediately saw what I shared in the poem.
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You’re welcome, Lisa
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a profound rhyming poem, .your after words adds understanding for the reader
nice one!!!
much♡love
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Gillena, thanks very much for the kind words.
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The painting gave a very chilling feel and you captured that masterfully, Li.
Artists cannot be divorced from their life, so how can we say that we should look at their art divorced from their political/religious/personal life?
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Thanks much, Punam. And exactly on artists living in a vacuum. Not going to happen. Art has a responsibility to express the artist in some fashion, don’t you think? I think this artist expressed exactly what he was in at least a couple of the paintings. The others were masks.
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You are welcome, Li. I agree with you. It is a shame that some talented minds are also the most twisted.
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You captured the feel of the painting, Li, and I agree about Woody Allen. I used to love his movies, but I haven’t watched any since all the information came out either.
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Thank you, Merril. Woody, the brilliant, lowly worm (no offense to worms.)
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You’re welcome, Li.
Yes.
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Yes, I love your poem, Li!
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Nolcha, thank you.
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Lisa, your poem captures the painting beautifully! 5 stars :)
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Thanks, Someone!
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not sure why i showed up as anon, but that’s me, Pink, above.
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The image is provocative and your poem that it inspired, as well. But more provocative is the discussion that follows. That’s what I love about art of all kinds – the way it opens up the channels for discussions, diversity, collective wisdom and the tensions that vibrate between various points of view. This art and this poem have opened up a discussion that reveals old wounds, probes uncomfortable dichotomies, wanders drunkenly down roads of moral questions. Kudos for doing what must be done: exposing hypocrisy and challenging us to get involved in the discourse.
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Kim, you can thank Melissa for opening up that dialogue. I will say that I had no problem writing the original poem to one of the given images; however, after reading about the artist I seriously considered not posting it or giving an afterword. Reading your comment, Kim, let’s me know I made the right decision in sharing them. Thank you, my friend, for your thoughts about exploring “moral questions.”
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Hi Lisa, this is an interesting interpretation. I like how you brought the character of the artist into this poem.
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Robbie, I appreciate your feedback on the interpretation. Like there being no view without a viewer, there can be no art without the artist.
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Yes, and art is interpreted differently by all viewers and artists.
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Wow, Lisa! I read that several times just to soak in how gorgeous it is!
Yvette M Calleiro :-)
http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com
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Yvette, I appreciate you taking time with it. Thank you, my friend.
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I remember the nuns in parochial school constantly reminding us to ‘hate the sin, love the sinner’. I cannot do that with Nazis .
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I HEAR YOU. I was just listening to Eddie Vedder’s cover of Dylan’s Masters of War and thinking it perfect expresses my feelings on it.
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Absolutely spot on.
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Your poem really wrestles with the dark psychology behind the painting – I’m coming at it knowing the artists’ background. Jung gave warning in the late twenties of the impending cloud descending on Europe – corporate shadow he called it back then. Nolde’s own shadow very transparent.
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Interesting about Jung’s warning. It does feel like one is growing there and we’re under a noxious one here.
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