We will now continue with my little series on movements in art and how to express similar ideas in art, and today we will move back in time to the early seventeenth century and one of the most influential artists ever: Caravaggio.

His paintings made him an instant celebrity, and introduced a movement across Europe called carrovagionism. He died young, and lived hard. The last part he was trying to escape from justice from a killing. He was almost instantly forgotten, and it took many years to rediscover his artistry.

His paintings are highly dramatic in content and far from soothing. Almost all of his paintings tell a story and connect forward to other movement such as expressionism and symbolism. His paintings are raw and shocking even today.

There is a technique called chiaroscuro (light-dark) that is very much connected with Caravaggio. The technique grew during the renaissance and was mastered by Caravaggio, where by working with the shadows, and the contrast between light and dark. If you compare his paintings to others there is a sense of being three dimensional that apart from the drama in his paintings fascinate the most.

Today I want you to write poetry that creates drama by focusing on the contrast between opposites, between light and dark, between good and evil. There is some connections to the technique of antithesis I have written about before, but here you have to think a bit like Caravaggio. You have to make the light shine and lift from the shadows. Create drama and volume of the light you want to lift from the dark backdrop, and don’t forget the drama.

For Tuesday’s poetics I wrote the following sonnet trying to use his bold techniques in writing.

Safer in the Dark

There is a certain coldness with the comfort
of divisions; in the border of a window,
I stay detached; I’m safe and covered
cloaked by this, my darkest night. The rainbow
is a kitchen light of houses darkly bent,
an echo dreaming past the river’s edge;
Between, I’m stranded, standing still and sent
as outcast, waiting, clinging to this ledge.
I’m saved from burning kilns of martial rows,
I’m shaded by my cross to bear alone,
regretting that I couldn’t stand your glow
of future hopes that turned my heart to stone.
Before I drowned I thrived behind your walls
Before I died I ceased to listen to your calls.

So now write your best poem being as bold with your words as Caravaggio was with his brush.

When you have written your poem, put it on your blog and link up below. Remember to pass through the bar and read the linkups. I hope for excellent poems tonight and the following days.

Shock me please !!!

And for those who celebrate: I happy Thanksgiving.