Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot - A Girl Reading, John Philip Sousa, John Philip Sousa - The Gladiator, John Milton - Pardise Lost, Robert Louis Stevenson - A Good Play

I'm not sure how this will come into your in-box, but it is the second post of this week, meant for next week as I won't have internet access to post then, so scroll down or look for the post before it for this week, then use this one next week.  Blessings, Patti

 Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot A Girl Reading

A Quote by Jean Baptiste-Camille Corot: "Beauty in art is truth bathed in an impression received from nature. I am struck upon seeing a certain place. While I strive for conscientious imitation, I yet never for an instant lose the emotion that has taken hold of me."

 John Philip Sousa - The Gladiator
 Played here by the Cypress High School Marching Band
or here by Kings Park Concert Band

John Milton
Paradise Lost is perhaps his most famous poem. Two short excerpts follow:

Book I Lines 1-16
Of man's first disobedience, and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste
Brought death into the world, and all our woe,
With loss of Eden, till one greater Man
Restore us, and regain the blissful seat,
Sing, Heavenly Muse, that on the secret top
Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didst inspire
That shepherd who first taught the chosen seed
In the  beginning how the heavens and earth
Rose out of Chaos: or, if Sion hill
Delight thee more, and Siloa's brook that flowed
Fast by the oracle of God, I thence
Invoke thy aid to my adventurous song,
That with no middle flight intends to soar
Above th' Aonian mount, while it pursues
Things unattempted yet in prose or rhyme,...

 Book III, Lines 1-6
   Hail, holy Light, offspring of Heaven first-born!
Or of th' Eternal coeternal beam,
may I express thee unblamed? since God is light,
And never but in unapporached light
Dwelt from eternity, dwelt then in thee,
Bright effluence of bright essence increate!

Robert Louis Stevenson

A Good Play

We built a ship upon the stairs
All made of the back-bedroom chairs,
And filled it full of soft pillows
To go a-sailing on the billows.

We took a saw and several nails,
And water in the nursery pails;
And Tom said, "Let us also take
An apple and a slice of cake;"--
Which was enough for Tom and me
To go a-sailing on, till tea.

We sailed along for days and days,
And had the very best of plays;
But Tom fell out and hurt his knee,

Jean Baptiste Camille Corot - Hagar in the Wilderness, John Philip Sousa - The Belle of Chicago, John Milton - Samson Agonistes, Robert Louis Stevenson - Bed in Summer

Our family plans to be on vacation this next week so I'll post two lessons today so you have one for next week as well.  

This painting of Hagar and Ishmael in the wilderness by Jean Baptiste Camille Corot comes from the Biblical story recorded in Genesis 21.  You can read it at the following link (you can change it to KJV by scrolling on the "New Living Translation" if you prefer that) Genesis 21 NLT
 


Our march today by John Philip Sousa is titled "The Belle of Chicago" and is played here by a Cypress Springs High School Symphonic Band.  The Belle of Chicago

I've been thinking about some of you being new to poetry and feeling that John Milton may be a stretch for some of you especially if you have young children so I'd like to feature poems by one of my favorite children's poets, Robert Louis Stevenson, weekly along with John Milton's poems.  If you don't already own a copy of A Child's Garden of Verses, I highly recommend it.  There are many wonderful editions with a wide variety of art work.  We live in the North with its long summer days and short winter ones so I often quote this poem to my children:  

I couldn't resist this cute painting....

          Bed in Summer

In winter I get up at night   
And dress by yellow candle-light.   
In summer, quite the other way,   
I have to go to bed by day.   
   
I have to go to bed and see          
The birds still hopping on the tree,   
Or hear the grown-up people’s feet   
Still going past me in the street.   
   
And does it not seem hard to you,   
When all the sky is clear and blue,   
And I should like so much to play,   
To have to go to bed by day?

Our poem by John Milton today, "Samson Agonistes" is also based on a Biblical character, Sampson.  You can read about him in the book of Judges.

Oh, how comely it is, and how reviving
To the spirits of just men long oppressed,
When God into the hands of their deliverer
Puts invincible might
To quell the mighty of the earth, th' oppressor,
The brute and boisterous force of violent men,
Hardy and industrious to support
Tyrannic power, but raging to pursue
The righteous, and all such as honor truth!
He all their ammunition
And feats of war defeats,
With plain heroic magnitude of mind
And celestial vigor armed;
Their armories and magazines contemns,
Renders them useless, while
With winged expedition
Swift as the lightning glance he executes
His errand on the wicked, who, surprised,
Lose their defense, distracted and amazed.
  But patience is more oft the exercise
Of saint, the trial of their fortitude,
Making them each his own deliverer,
And victor over all
That tyranny or fortune can inflict.
Either of these is in thy lot,
Samson, with might endued
Above the sons of men; but sight bereaved
May chance to number thee with those
Whom patience finally must crown.

Jean Baptiste Camille Corot - Basilica of Constantine in Rome, John Philip Sousa - The Liberty Bell, John Milton - Let Us With Gladsome Mind

Jean Baptiste Camille Corot painted this lovely painting of the Basilica of Constantine in Rome.  I like the shadows on the buildings, the fascinating shapes, the orange earthy tones against the blue sky and the reflective water. What stands out to you and to your children?  This might be an interesting picture to trace with its interesting shapes. 

Rome - the Basilica of Constantine

The Liberty Bell  by John Philip Sousa.  This would be a fun piece of music to play while you do your chores. :) 

This week's poem by John Milton is like a Psalm or a hymn with its wonderful repeated third and fourth lines - "For his mercies aye endure, Ever faithful, ever sure."

Let Us With Gladsome Mind

Let us with a gladsome mind
Praise the Lord, for he is kind;
For his mercies aye endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.

He, with all commanding might,
Filled the new-made world with light;
For his mercies aye endure,
Ever faithful, every sure.

He the golden tressed sun
Caused all day his course to run;
For his mercies aye endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.

The horned moon to shine by night,
'Mid her spangled sisters bright;
For his mercies aye endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.

All things living he doth feed;
His full hand suppplies their need;
For his mercies aye endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.

Let us with a gladsome mind
Praise the Lord, for he is kind;
For his mercies aye endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.

Jean Baptiste Camille Corot, John Philip Sousa - The Stars and Stripes Forever, John Milton - On His Blindness

Jean Baptiste Camille Corot is our new artist for Fall.  He has a wonderfully broad variety of paintings.  You may want to use Google Images or the website below to look for his paintings and choose some for yourself or just enjoy the ones I feature. (Beware there are some nudes there.) 

Jean Baptiste Camille Corot Org. This site has 875 of his paintings as well as a biographical sketch. (there are nudes among the paintings if that bothers you just enjoy the paintings I choose).

Wikipedia - Jean Baptiste Camille Corot (The following quote is from this article)

"Corot was the leading painter of the Barbizon school of France in the mid-nineteenth century.  He is a pivotal figure in landscape painting.  His work simultaneously references the Neo-Classical tradition and anticipates the plein-air innovations of Impressionism.  Of him Claude Monet exclaimed 'There is only one master here--Corot.  We are nothing compared to him, nothing.  His contributions to figure painting are hardly less important;  Degas preferred his figures to his landscapes, and the classical figures of Picasso pay overt homage to Corot's influence."


This summer we attended an outdoor community band concert with our son and daughter-in-law and two of our grandchildren.  I really enjoyed the music and realized I haven't featured any march music yet, so we'll feature John Philip Sousa next who is an American composer known as "The March King".  Our first work will be his best known and our American national march.

The Stars and Stripes Forever 

Here  is wikipedia's article featuring John Philip Sousa.

Performing Arts Encyclopedia biographical sketch


  A painting of Sousa by Capolino


I'd like to feature a more advanced poet this season.  John Milton wrote beautiful but more advanced poems and if you are new to poetry study or have young children you may wish to go back to one of the poets previously featured.

John Milton - Wikipedia 

This site features quotes and a biographical sketch as well as some of his works.

The Milton-L is devoted to the life, literature and times of the poet John Milton. On this site you will find links to web resources, information about upcoming events, and information on recently published works of interest to Milton scholars and students.



         On His Blindness
When I consider how my light is spent
Ere half my days in this dark world and wide,
And that one talent which is death to hide
Lodg'd with me useless, though my soul more bent
To serve therewith my Maker, and present
My true account, lest he returning chide,
"Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?"
I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent
That murmur, soon replies: "God doth not need
Either man's work or his own gifts: who best
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state
Is kingly; thousands at his bidding speed
And post o'er land and ocean without rest:
They also serve who only stand and wait.