Art in Many Different Forms

Throughout history art has presented itself in many different forms. Two forms of art are poetry and paintings. William C. Carlos’ poem “The Dance” paints a picture while Pieter Brueghel’s painting “Peasants’ Dance” tell a story. The odd thing is that both the poem and the painting have many similarities as well as many notable differences. Tone, image, and imagination show the many similarities and differences between William C. Williams’ poem “The Dance” and Pieter Brueghel’s painting “Peasants’ Dance.”

Tone creates the attitude when reading the poem by putting ideas into the readers head through the author’s words. Williams paints a picture of “Brueghel’s great picture” (Lines 1,12) with his tone and use of words. Upon seeing the painting the reader can witness the festivities as they are “kicking and rolling about the Fair Grounds, swinging their butts”(Lines 8-9). The reader can also see how the poem is misleading by leaving out all of the people having a great time not dancing but socializing, drinking, and romancing. The tone of the poem creates the festive atmosphere and parts of what the painting displays but does not paint the total picture.

The image displayed by the painting fills in gaps the reader may have encountered reading the poem. The painting tells a much broader story of the festivities but both give off similar atmospheres. “The dancers go round, they go round and around, the squeal and the blare and the tweedle of bagpipes”(Lines 2-4) are all witnessed in the painting for the reader to see. The poem leaves out significant information such as the setting, time, and place of the festival which the reader can get an idea of by looking at the painting. Although the painting shows the reader a broader look at the festivities, the reader still gets the general idea while reading the poem.

When comparing two similar but different pieces of art as well as two different styles of art it is important to let the imagination work to tell a much larger story. The poem is open and unfinished letting the imagination roam as to what is happening as “a bugle and fiddles tipping their bellies”(Lines 4-5) might lead the reader to picture very large men and women