How a Love Letter makes someone feel
Lucia Robinson
The women in nature
Winding calm rivers behind her, guiding her
Her face serious
Her body poised, but relaxed
The Spiritual butterflies surround her thoughts and her freedom
The animals on either side of her
The coyote showing her strong and courageous side
The dear showing her calm and peaceful side
The fire burning inside her, the passion she must feel
The apples showing self growth
The bird fleeing from inside her, she is letting loose, getting free
The “love letter” falling and sinking from within her
The eye in her heart showing truth
The mysterious cat sleeping inside her
Revealing what is inside her and her feelings as she reads her love letter
The painting that I chose is called “Love Letter” by Jill Hooper. When I saw this painting I thought that it was so interesting, I saw it in the museum and I was instantly curious. There are so many things going on inside this painting of the women. There are so many symbols and animals and each one represents something different. The way that I looked at this poem was that the woman was reading a love letter and the author shows everything that she is feeling while reading the love letter. Her dress at the bottom is open and shows everything that is happening inside of her as she is reading this letter. Everything that goes through her mind. The butterflies represent spirituality and freedom. The coyote shows courage and braveness, while the deer shows innocence and gentleness at the same time. The fire burning inside her might represent the passion that she feels. The apple tree growing inside her may show how she is growing and maturing, apples can also represent knowledge so maybe as she matures she is getting smarter. The eye in her heart is maybe showing the truth and what her heart is really feeling. The cat may represent a bit of mystery in her life while the bird fleeing might show how she is letting go of something or being free. The main thing that I was trying to accomplish when writing the poem was just how everything in the painting has a meaning and represents something deeper than just itself, which is why I wrote the poem and broke it up the way that I did.
This was a very well written poem and I could truly understand what was happening inside the painting after reading it. I had seen this painting at the museum and I was slightly confused at what was going on and what each symbol represented but you covered what each one represented in accordance with the woman. I also enjoyed the pattern going on during your poem because it flowed very nicely and it helped me to get a rhythm going in my head.
Your interpretation of Love Letter is really thoughtful, and I like how you connected each symbol in the painting to the woman’s emotions and inner journey. You explained the meaning behind the imagery beautifully. I saw this especially in how the open door and animals reflected her freedom and passion portion. Your analysis made me see the painting in a deeper way!