Girl at the Fountain – William Morris Hunt
waterbearer
she asks for nothing
hand above her head,
begging the fount of some greek myth
to be swift and plentiful.
her silhouette shadowed
onto blistering cement,
hovering near what’s cold and clear.
behind her, an endless green.
hills and freedom and steady breath
while she lives in grey secluded servitude.
someone once told me
they made the jug
to fit a woman’s shape–
is that what we look like to you?
i wish i could turn her around to face me,
set my hands on her shoulders
and carry the liquid weight for her.
but what she will bring upon her hip–
is the lifeblood of man,
balanced on a corset & a smile.
Explanation:
When writing this poem, I thought back on what we have read from poems like Trethewey’s “Vignette.” I loved the way that she was able to describe what was happening in the photograph while also creating a little bit of her own narrative about the woman in the portrait. I felt a similar way about the woman in the painting I selected, which is “Girl at the Fountain” by William Morris Hunt. When I looked at her, I saw the literal job she was doing, carrying water, but I also saw so much emotion in her body language and facial expressions. I wanted to create a poem that emulated those feelings more than just plainly describing what was happening in the artwork.
I chose to focus a lot on the shapes in the poem– the shape of her dress, her body, and the jug she is carrying. I did this to try and emphasize the struggle of women to fit into these certain boxes. For example, she’s doing manual labor in a full gown. I don’t know if any of you have ever tried that, but it’s not pleasant.
The line breaks in this poem weren’t super purposeful except for the very first line, “she asks for nothing.” I wanted that line to stand out to emphasize the selfless nature of the woman in the painting.
I hope you all enjoy it!
I did not use generative AI to create this poem.