• Home
  • About
    • Our Supporters
    • Corporate Support
    • The Hub
    • Why This Site?
    • Our Philosophy
    • The Challenges
    • Missed a Post?
  • The Basics
    • Historical Tradition >
      • Cave of Altamira
      • Tutankhamun's Tomb
      • The Bayeux Tapestry
      • Stations of the Cross
      • A Rake's Progress
    • Terminology >
      • Defining the Form
      • The Language of Comics
      • Filmic Language, Part 1
      • Filmic Language, Part 2
      • Language of the Gaze
    • A Rationale for Comics
    • Next Steps
    • Glen's Portfolio >
      • Boldprint
      • Timeline
      • The 10
      • Graphic Poetry
      • Boldprint Kids Graphic Readers
      • Boldprint Graphic Novels
      • Interface and ILit
      • Remix
      • Issues 21
      • Other Books
  • Graphica
    • Scholarship
    • Happening Now
    • Graphic Novels
    • About the Form
    • For Educators
  • Classroom
    • Activities >
      • Exemplars
    • Curriculum Connections >
      • Videos
      • PowerPoints
    • FAQ
    • Links
    • Support
  • Store
    • Codes
    • Go for the Pin!
  • Contact
Comics in Education
  • Home
  • About
    • Our Supporters
    • Corporate Support
    • The Hub
    • Why This Site?
    • Our Philosophy
    • The Challenges
    • Missed a Post?
  • The Basics
    • Historical Tradition >
      • Cave of Altamira
      • Tutankhamun's Tomb
      • The Bayeux Tapestry
      • Stations of the Cross
      • A Rake's Progress
    • Terminology >
      • Defining the Form
      • The Language of Comics
      • Filmic Language, Part 1
      • Filmic Language, Part 2
      • Language of the Gaze
    • A Rationale for Comics
    • Next Steps
    • Glen's Portfolio >
      • Boldprint
      • Timeline
      • The 10
      • Graphic Poetry
      • Boldprint Kids Graphic Readers
      • Boldprint Graphic Novels
      • Interface and ILit
      • Remix
      • Issues 21
      • Other Books
  • Graphica
    • Scholarship
    • Happening Now
    • Graphic Novels
    • About the Form
    • For Educators
  • Classroom
    • Activities >
      • Exemplars
    • Curriculum Connections >
      • Videos
      • PowerPoints
    • FAQ
    • Links
    • Support
  • Store
    • Codes
    • Go for the Pin!
  • Contact
Comics in Education
What's new?

Poetry and Visual Annotation -- "The Cross of Snow" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

4/16/2014
by Glen Downey, Comics in Education, www.comicsineducation.com

Picture

You choose the poem, and I annotate!

This is the first in a series of posts I'm planning in which fans of the site send me a poem that they'd like to see visually annotated. This first one is Longfellow's "The Cross of Snow," a suggestion made by @CarrieSnowRice, and strangely enough a poem I was unfamiliar with. The reason that's a bit strange is that one of my favourite books in the Graphic Poetry series is of Longfellow's wonderful poem, Paul Revere, illustrated by the incomparable, Mike Rooth.
Picture

Despite being unfamiliar with the poem, the brainstorming yielded some very cool results. I think the beauty of the poem has to do with a single letter and that's the liquid "l" sounds that are strong throughout the first part of the poem. They just soften everything, it seems. Compare this to the rise of the "s" sounds later in the poem, where you almost can feel the scars that Longfellow endured in attempting to save his wife from the accidental fire that consumed her (her dress came into contact with an ember and she caught on fire, dying later from her injuries). The sonnet form is crucial as well: it's Miltonic, but the sestet doesn't seem to resolve what is raised in the octave, except if Longfellow is seeing his suffering as akin to Christ's. Then he must realize, of course, that bearing the scars and enduring the loss, and keeping vigil over his wife's memory are all that he has.

Next up, I think we're going to lighten the mood with some Sylvia Plath. Look for "Morning Song" in an upcoming post!

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Follow @teachingcomics
    Follow @GlenDowney


    our  store
    our codes
    navigation
    contact us

    Picture

    Glen Downey

    Dr. Glen Downey is an award-winning children's author, educator, and academic from Oakville, Ontario. He works as a children's writer for Rubicon Publishing, a reviewer for PW Comics World, an editor for the Sequart Organization, and serves as the Chair of English and Drama at The York School in Toronto.


    Picture

    If you've found this site useful and would like to donate to Comics in Education, we'd really appreciate the support!

    Picture

    Comics in Education

    Archives

    February 2019
    September 2018
    June 2018
    March 2018
    April 2017
    November 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    September 2015
    August 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014


    RSS Feed

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

(C) 2014-20
​Comics in Education


3M Visitors

Google
Custom Search
Contact Us