The Great Figures!

I loved this week's Under the Influence of Art project. We learned about Charles DeMuth. We focused on his most famous painting, "The Figure Five in Gold," which was inspired by a poem, "The Great Figure," written by his friend William Carlos William.

The Great Figure

by William Carlos William

Among the rain

and lights

I saw the figure 5

in gold

on a red

fire truck

moving

tense

unheeded

to gong clangs

siren howls

and wheels rumbling

through the dark city

Since our art class is all about being inspired by other artists, this was very appropriate. The students learned you can find inspiration anywhere—in a poem as much as a painting.

So, we turned this idea around, and if they wanted, the children wrote a poem inspired by their picture.