The Course of Empire: The Pastoral State; Pachelbel Fantasia in D Minor; and John Donne - Crucifying

The second painting in Thomas Cole's series, "The Course of Empire" is The Pastoral State.  You can find more information about it and a zoom capability at the link below:

Thomas Cole:  The Course of Empire - The Arcadian or Pastoral State

http://www.explorethomascole.org/gallery/items/65

We continue this week with a biographical sketch of Johann Pachelbel and another piece of his music.  It is interesting to note that Johann Pachelbel taught Johann Sebastian Bach when he was a young child.  The following link has a biographical sketch of Johann Pachelbel - http://www.pachelbel.us/
Our musical selection for this week is Fantasia in D Minor.  You can listen to it performed at the following link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lH1PVCkDdr8&feature=related

John Donne is a complicated poet and the beauty of his words and ideas may be lost on small children, but adults and older children can enjoy his rich use of words and ideas.  


Crucifying
By miracles exceeding power of man,
He faith in some, envy in some begat,
For, what weak spirits admire, ambitious, hate;
In both affections many to him ran,
But Oh! the worst are most, they will and can,
Alas, and do, unto the immaculate,
Whose creature fate is, now prescribe a fate,
Measuring self-life's infinity to a span,
Nay to an inch.  Lo, where condemned he
Bears his own cross, with pain, yet by and by,
When it bears him, he must bear more and die,
Now thou art lifted up, draw me to thee,
And at thy death giving such liberal dole,
Moist, with one drop of thy blood, my dry soul.


John Donne http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/243