Hans Heysen - A Bowl of Roses, Engelbert Humperdinck - Hansel and Gretel: Evening Song, John Donne - Death Be Not Proud

This week we're looking at another lovely still life by Hans Heysen - A Bowl  of Roses.

A Bowl of Roses - Hans Heysen

You might try drawing or painting one of these roses with your children (colored pencils might work, too) - they are a light color with darker shades marking the shadowed areas between petals.  Notice what colors are used to make the shadows in these flowers. There isn't a lot of color in this painting - mostly subtle neutral shades making it restful.  Still - the contrast is green against red which is complementary (across the color wheel) and each heightens its opposite.  Also the artist has used the dark green (almost black in places) leaves behind the light blooms to highlight them.

 Today's piece from Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck, Dream Pantomime, is more dramatic than last week's piece.  Do your children like it?  I like to listen to these pieces repeatedly through the week because I've found that as music becomes familiar we get more enjoyment out of it.  

Death Be Not Proud is the third poem by John Donne that we plan to memorize this term.  It's here in its old English spelling. 

 Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not soe,
For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill mee.
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,
Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell,
And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,
And better then thy stroake; why swell'st thou then?
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.