The Portrait

[Alexander III]

A lone ornate portrait
Hangs dimly upon a velvet wall:
It depicts a regal figure
Gliding over a royal ball
The aspect of Genius and Beauty
Meet in a swirling enthrall
In the golden gleam
Of his ethereal eyes
As if he had sired the two
From the shining sun rise
Of his saintly perfection.
His gentle skin
Is a gilded river
Of Apollo's grace
While his glistening smile
Sends shivers down my face.

As I stare
I cannot help
But purely love
This Adonis

A lone ornate portait
Hangs dimly upon a velvet wall:
It depicts a vile figure
Putrid with idiocy
A withered flower in Eden.
Bigotry and hypocrisy
Shine from his black eyes
As he drowses in a piss laden alley
Enslaved to his poppy fumes
Coated with the contempt
Of all who once loved him
Left there to die alone.

A I stare
I cannot help
But purely hate
This Horror

I remain hazed in the incense of illusion
As I fail to see that the portrait is a delusion
As the only thing which hangs upon the wall
Is a plain mirror, reflecting back at us all.

[Hawkman]

Dorian Gray tried not to look upon his portrait and was careful not to let others see it. You are revealing it to us I think. nicely done.

[Buh4Bee]

Does self-reflection bring self-awareness?

:biggrin5:

[lallison]

hmmm...that one is very interesting. First off, hawk's comments make me want to put Dorian Grey on my reading list. I've always been curious about that one, but seem to have forgotten it.

This seems to me to be a good but an odd poem. It is all about compare and contrast. I recognize that the fist stanza is necessary to make your point. But i feel i am missing some meaning in it. That beautiful portrait has to have more to it than just to contrast.

I'm just saying that because i think this is a very good poem that could be a great poem, or it is a great poem but just not working in perfect harmony with me.

I know that's probably vague, but I feel you could continue to explore your idea and come up with something even better.

I wouldn't have put much thought into it if i didn't make me think and feel and if it wasn't a poem that I liked.

[hillwalker]

A wonderful image - Man 'reflecting' (no pun intended) on his place in the scheme of things - his majesty and his misery revealed in the one vision.

I actually think it works quite well as it is. The two shorter stanzas (2 and 4) depicting the contrasting feelings the observer experiences in seeing the one image - Man exposed.

And of course the last 4 lines bring us back to 'reality' - unless of course we are already on the wrong side of the mirror.

A very thought-provoking piece and much better than I gave it credit for on first reading.

[Babyguile]

Great write and thanks for sharing.

But, hmm, my opinion is that things are communicated to us all too clearly, especially towards the end. There's no power in the words, or effect or atmosphere to the poem. I would have rather you tried to communicate this concept and 'revelation at the end' in a more interesting way, just try to veil is from us a bit more.

[blank|verse]

Yeah, a bit of Dorian Gray in this.

Also, Browning's 'My Last Duchess' (http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/rb/duchess/duchess.html).

[Alexander III]

Thank you guys for sharing your thoughts :)

Jersea: I honestly think the more we look at ourselves the more we confuse ourselves

Lallison: firstly you should read dorian gray, I found the novel to be amazing. I completely understand what you mean, sometimes I see a poem and like it but feel that something is missing, or it needs a change. I guess that just depends on the individual, but I had the same feeling with this poem as if something was missing, but I still don't know what.

Hillwalker: I am glad you found meaning in the poem and liked it, oh and I think a good poem should always age like wine, so am glad you found it greater on your second reading.

TheDave: I see your point. However I wanted to be rather blunt with this poem as I would rather the meaning be clear rather than increase its aestheical beauty and risk loosing some of the meaning.

Blank Verse: Ah thank you for posting the link to My Last Duchess, I just read it and found it to be a beautiful poem.