It’s official, today is the first day of spring! Which means I get to do some of my very favorite things.
Like picnics and swimming
Brunch and tennis
Smelling the flowers
And wearing dresses
Playing outside and enjoying nature
Once again, it’s my favorite time of the year.
I guess there’s just something about the sunshine that makes me want to rhyme. In the spirit of the new season, I have paired a few beautiful springtime scenes from the DMA’s collection with poetry. I hope you enjoy!
River Bank in Springtime, Vincent van Gogh
Never Mind, March
Never mind, March, we know
When you blow
You’re not really mad
Or angry, or bad;
You’re only blowing the winter away
To get the world ready for April and May
~ Author Unknown
.
Early Spring in Central Park, Nicolai Cikovsky
I Meant To Do My Work Today
I meant to do my work today,
But a brown bird sang in the apple tree,
And a butterfly flitted across the field,
And all the leaves were calling me.
And the wind went sighing over the land,
Tossing the grasses to and fro,
And a rainbow held out its shining hand–
So what could I do but laugh and go?
~ Richard Le Gallienne
.
Bougival, Maurice de Vlaminick
Sunflakes
If sunlight fell like snowflakes
gleaming yellow and so bright
we could build a sunman
we could have a sunball fight.
We could watch the sunflakes
drifting in the sky
We could go sleighing
in the middle of July
through sundrifts and sunbanks
we could ride a sunmobile
and we could touch sunflakes-
I wonder how they’d feel.
~Frank Asch
.
A Host of Golden Daffodils, Charles Webster Hawthorne
Daffy Down Dilly
Daffy Down Dilly
Has come to town
In a yellow petticoat
And a green gown.
~ Mother Goose nursery rhyme
.
Jeanne: Spring, Edouard Manet
March
Dear March, come in!
How glad I am!
I looked for you before.
Put down your hat-
You must have walked-
How out of breath you are!
Dear March, how are you?
And the rest?
Did you leave Nature well?
Oh, March, come right upstairs with me,
I have so much to tell.
~ Emily Dickinson
What do you love about spring?
Hannah Burney
McDermott Education Intern for Teaching Programs and Partnerships
Artworks shown:
River Bank in Springtime, Vincent van Gogh, 1887, oil on canvas, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene McDermott in memory of Arthur Berger
Early Spring in Central Park, Nicolai Cikovsky, date unknown, lithograph, Dallas Museum of Art, Foundation for the Arts Collection, gift of Mrs. Alfred L. Bromberg
Bougival, Maurice de Vlaminick, 1905, oil on canvas, Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection
A Host of Golden Daffodils, Charles Webster Hawthorne, before 1927, oil on canvas affixed to composition board, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Edna Smith Smrz in memory of Mrs. Ed C. Smith, Sr.
Jeanne: Spring, Edouard Manet, 1882, etching and aquatint, Dallas Museum of Art, Junior League Print Fund
I, too, love spring! One of my most, most favorite things in the WHOLE world is the memory I have of scents and sights of spring in my backyard when growing up. Giant bushes of lilacs in shades of deep purple and white filled one part of the yard. Daffodils and crocuses popped up in other spots as well. Spring is a return to green and the final step of renewal in the seasons — the seasons were so palpable growing up in the Midwest.
Hannah – these poems and images are great. I especially love the poem associated with Vlaminck’s Bougival!
I love the first pairing poem with Van Gogh! I love feeling the March wind in my hair while watching the grasses bow to and fro. I love the rebirth of Mother Earth from the dark of winter below. I love being alive…T
I have vivid memories of tulips and daffodils blooming at my childhood home, as well as the very large tulip tree in my backyard. Unfortunately, all of those beautiful blooms contributed to my other association with spring…ALLERGIES.
Hannah, thanks for the lovely poems and pictures!
I loved these poems! I relate to Le Gallienne poem because I’m easily distracted by beautiful weather. For me, the best thing about springtime is dog-friendly patio dining. It combines some of my favorite things: being in the sunshine, spending time with my family and friends, hanging out with my pup, and eating yummy things.
Thanks, Hannah!
I’m so glad that there are so many spring enthusuasts out there! Thanks so much for sharing!