Post-Impressionism Poem by Bert Leston Taylor

(Lines written after viewing Mr Arthur Dove's
exposition of the 'Simultaneousness of the Ambient')


I cannot tell you how I love
The canvases of Mr Dove,
Which Saturday I went to see
In Mr Thurber's gallery.

At first you fancy they are built
As patterns for a crazy-quilt,
But soon you see that they express
An ambient simultaneousness.

This thing which you would almost bet
Portrays a Spanish omelette,
Depicts instead, with wondrous skill,
A horse and cart upon a hill.

Now, Mr Dove has too much art
To show the horse or show the cart;
Instead he paints the
creak
and
strain,

Get it? No pike is half so plain.

This thing which would appear to show
A fancy vest scenario,
Is really quite another thing --
A flock of pigeons on the wing.

But Mr Dove is much too keen
To let a single bird be seen;
To show the pigeons would not do,
And so he simply paints the coo.

It's all as simple as can be;
He paints the things you cannot see.
Just as composers please the ear
With programme things you cannot hear.

Dove is the cleverest of chaps;
And, gazing at his rhythmic maps,
I wondered (and I'm wondering yet)
Whether he did them on a bet.