Charlie Wiebe

Period 2

1/23/20

Miss Nalan

Watching the Moon Following a Shower

Now the clouds have left, the hills are once as black;

As mists have cleared, the moon is once as bright.

The nights last long and I become frustrated-

The roosting crows are startled on their branches.

Part One

This poem incites feelings of calmness, with a slight melancholic tone. Descriptive
language is used to prompt these feelings, with words such as “black” and “frustrated”
producing a more somber reaction. The poem finishes with words of hopefulness, however.
“The roosting crows are startled on their branches” implies that the dawn of a new day is
near, with endless opportunities. Contrasted with the previous line emphasizing the
agonizing length of nighttime, this wording provides the reader a sense of satisfaction and
puts them at ease knowing that the frustrating night will soon be no more. The descriptive
language also makes the reader feel as though the previous rainfall has washed the past
away, providing a clean slate for tomorrow.

For my illustration, I decided to emphasize the blackness of the mountains. I did so

because the mystery surrounding them intrigued me. I painted them silhouetted on the
pale dark-blue sky, shapeless, yet recognizable as mountains. I also didn’t want to make
them too colorful, since it would draw away from the somber tone of the poem. I also made
the bright moon as large I could, since I wanted to incite a sense of hopefulness in the
viewer.

Part Two

Art helps us transcend the urban landscape by expanding the known limits of
expression. Within the realm of art, anything that can be imagined can be created, even
things that can’t ordinarily be articulated or conveyed through words. In that way, if one
person wants to communicate a certain message across to many people, art opens up
opportunities for that person to do so. Art has done so before in history and will do so
again.

In a contrasting way, forms of art have their individual limits depending on what
mediums they are. Specifically looking at this assignment, I felt as though I wasn’t able to
fully convey the message I was trying to send, since I couldn’t get beyond the complexity of
a two-dimensional illustration. This could also have something to do with the fact that I am
generally a terrible artist, but still, I couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed with my
final product. Following the project, I concluded that all mediums have their individual
pitfalls.

Although I have never had much success with them, I have tried many different
mediums of expression throughout my life. I’ve tried painting time and time again, using
watercolor, oil, acrylics, and drawing, and have always struggled to capture what I have in
my mind on the canvas or paper. I eventually learned that the best way to transcend
beyond the simplicity of my previous attempts at art was through music. I’ve picked up
playing many different instruments throughout my life, including piano, guitar, and
trumpet, and have found that once I become comfortable with the instrument at hand, I can
use improvisation and the changing of tones and speed to more fully express myself. I’ve
learned to love piano the most because of the wide variety of different songs I can play.
Since learning the instrument, I’ve developed my own tunes and learned how to play my
favorite songs by ear. It, as a medium for expression and art, has helped me grow and
become more mature as a person.