Picture Poetry Contest (...continued...)

[Petrarch's Love]

EDIT: heheh, no thats not Amon, thats Nefertari! Didnt read the entries first + should have looked at it more carefully. Anyway, my mistake! It wont be wise to edit it now, so *shrug* .

Since it came up, and in case anyone was curious, the figures in the picture are Queen Nefertari and the goddess Isis. I don't think it really matters if you decided they're other characters for the purpose of the contest though. Poetic license!

[symphony]

Isis?? Thought it's Hathor with Nerfertari....

[TheFifthElement]

Isis?? Thought it's Hathor with Nerfertari....

There'a a great deal of similarity between Isis and Hathor, as with many Egyptian deities the attributes of earlier deities was merged into later ones (in this case Isis appeared later.). I believe that this depicts Isis, but I don't think it really matters, as I understand it Virgil is looking for the picture to act as inspiration, but how we interpret it is up to us!



By the way - it's an excellent poem Symphony, really beautifully written

[symphony]

Ah its Hathor. There's a somewhat similar picture of Hathor and Nefertari around the bottom of this page. There's a temple (abu simbel) depicting Nefertari and Hathor together holding hands, I think this picture was taken from that.
But well, Isis has been confused/merged with Hathor at times. Plus, in some depictions she is seen with cow horns too.

Edit: I see we posted together, Fifth
And thanks for the compliment.

[Petrarch's Love]

Well, I agree that it doesn't really matter who these people are for the purpose of the contest, but since I have a book that labels this as Nefertari and Isis, I did a little more poking around because I wanted to know the truth. Isis and Hathor are almost identical looking, but the picture Virg. gives really does seem to be of Isis leading Nefertari to meet Osiris. It comes from the tomb of Nefertari. Here's one site that shows it in its original context, which I found interesting to see, since it's so easy to forget how these things are interacting with the other pictures around them when you just see a picture in a book or online. http://www.gallica.co.uk/Egypt/page14.htm Anyway, Isis, Hathor; tomato, tomahto, back to the contest.

By the way, Symphony, regardless of who's who I agree with fifthelement. I really liked your poem.

[Virgil]

Well thanks Petrarch. I will not hold any incorrect understanding of the poem against anyone. I will judge strictly on the poetry.

[NickAdams]

I just came upon this. I'm glad the deadline was extended to Thursday. I wanted to write more poetry, so this is a good outlet.

O Lady

O Lady who hath charity, what deed imparts the day?
The damned, raised off their treading bellies, forsake labors on
Her head.
O Lady, my Queen, I shall be thy crown.

O Lady who hath conduct, what ground wears the day?
The lost, guided through foreign labyrinths, forsake labors on
Her hand.
O Lady, my Light, I shall follow thee.

O Lady who hath history, what tale scribes the day?
The poets, privileged pens, granted labors on
Her name.
O Lady, my Muse, I shall immortalize thee.

[symphony]

Well, I agree that it doesn't really matter who these people are for the purpose of the contest, but since I have a book that labels this as Nefertari and Isis, I did a little more poking around because I wanted to know the truth. Isis and Hathor are almost identical looking, but the picture Virg. gives really does seem to be of Isis leading Nefertari to meet Osiris. It comes from the tomb of Nefertari. Here's one site that shows it in its original context, which I found interesting to see, since it's so easy to forget how these things are interacting with the other pictures around them when you just see a picture in a book or online. http://www.gallica.co.uk/Egypt/page14.htm Anyway, Isis, Hathor; tomato, tomahto, back to the contest.

Who would have thought this and this would be different!! These gods and goddesses rise a hell of a confusion everywhere . Anyway, as Petrarch said, back to the contest. And thanks for clearing it to me, Petrarch. Though I've gladly decided I'd never take Egyptology as a subject in my life.

By the way, Symphony, regardless of who's who I agree with fifthelement. I really liked your poem.

Thanks Coming from you, that really means much to me, since I've loved and admired every poem I've seen by you so far.

[Petrarch's Love]

Though I've gladly decided I'd never take Egyptology as a subject in my life.

Nay, don't be turned aside from a perfectly lovely subject because Isis and Hathor happen to be twins. Surely this sort of confusion could only spur us on to take more Egyptology and learn to read Hieroglyphs so that we can always make authoritative claims.

Thanks Coming from you, that really means much to me, since I've loved and admired every poem I've seen by you so far.

What a very kind compliment Symphony. I'm very glad if some of my poems have brought you enjoyment.

[browneyedbailey]

so who won?!?!?!?!

[symphony]

so who won?!?!?!?!

We'll know soon I guess.

[browneyedbailey]

thanks symphony

[Virgil]

The contest is now closed. I will review all entries and make a decision this evening, my time zone, of course.

[Virgil]

OK, so since you all wrote interesting poems I will highlight my favorite lines from each of you and then present the winner. Frankly it was tough to choose. In fact as I write this I may still change my mind by the time I reach the end. But we'll see.

My favorite lines for Pen's were right at the beginning:

Hey, Nefertiti,
Indeed, the beautiful one had come,
Was that perfect body filled with love,
Or eaten up with jealous poison?

Same for autolycus:

And you of the green eyes,
And you of the sharp mind?
How shall my remembrance speak
Of you with the long feet,
And you with the soft speech?

For Granny, I thought her best was at the end:

And when we are born again
you will know my touch
and know we are meant
to be as one.

For Bailey I leave the entire poem.

She sits silently,
Waiting, waiting.
Locked up in her father's palace.
"What?!?!" she cried to the heavens.
"Why not tell me? Who can relese me from my stone prision??"
As she weeps she finds it is to late.

I really loved these lines in Fifthelement's poem:

I followed at a distance
knowing only the
colour of his smile,
and the sharp edge
of this unexpected desire.

A fascinating poem by Petrarch. I loved this list of images:

Eye and feather, sliding serpent,
Ship that coasts on orange waves
Gilded lilies, mud-made houses
Wandering limbs and arms embraced
Hawk beside the kneeling priestess
All one enigmatic phrase

Symphony created an interesting opposition between the two:

And still I heard her voice,
Sonorous in the silence—
I am the Queen of Dance,
The Mistress of Music,
The One who fills the sanctuary with joy…
The joy of secreting the cosmos?
The Joy of Love, came the whisper,

I liked the hymnal tone of Nick's poem:

I
O Lady who hath conduct, what ground wears the day?
The lost, guided through foreign labyrinths, forsake labors on
Her hand.
O Lady, my Light, I shall follow thee.

[Virgil]

So the winner by just barely a nose is Symphony.

Hathor and Amon

Her existence within
Those withered amber scripts
Shone through the faded hieroglyphs--
Too bright for the parchment to hold.
The strength of his hand
Within the whorls of hers
Stirred through the pages.

Between her and me
Rests a long path of time,
Her existence is yellowed,
Obscure in a few blurry scribbles
By an unknown hand of forgotten years;
Mine, however, is fixed in present.
And still I heard her voice,
Sonorous in the silence—
I am the Queen of Dance,
The Mistress of Music,
The One who fills the sanctuary with joy…
The joy of secreting the cosmos?
The Joy of Love, came the whisper,

I have loved.
I have breathed
The Breath of Life.

And it was then that I
Felt her existence,
Not in the yellowed parchments,
But in the golden sun
And in the golden sand…

And through the Breeze of Life
Ran the voice of the celestial goddess…
I have loved.

I liked the opposition Symph created between the two characters. Plus I really liked the last line "I have loved."