"The Last of England" by Ford Madox BrownOn Ford Madox Brown’s ‘The Last of England’: An Ekphrastic Poem by Jeffrey Essmann The Society December 7, 2022 Beauty, Ekphrastic, Poetry 5 Comments . On Ford Madox Brown’s “The Last of England” Their balcony beringed with cabbages, They fix their eyes on the receding shore And blankly call to mind the ravages Now past and wonder at the ones in store. The Channel’s unrelenting winds upsoar Magenta ribbons into bloody streaks, While he, his face is set forevermore Against a life whose meaning is oblique. And she, her bearing something yet bespeaks The sudden fear perhaps they haven’t brought Enough or thought enough about how weak We are, how strong the forces quite unsought. For neath her cloak she holds a tiny hand And soon she’ll have no sight at all of land. . . Jeffrey Essmann is an essayist and poet living in New York. His poetry has appeared in numerous magazines and literary journals, among them Agape Review, America Magazine, Dappled Things, the St. Austin Review, U.S. Catholic, Grand Little Things, Heart of Flesh Literary Journal, and various venues of the Benedictine monastery with which he is an oblate. He is editor of the Catholic Poetry Room page on the Integrated Catholic Life website. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Trending now: 5 Responses Mo December 7, 2022 Thank you, Jeffrey. This poem is a wake up call to us all about our own uncertainty today. Well done! Reply Cheryl Corey December 7, 2022 Your sonnet brings emotional heft to the painting. Reply C.B. Anderson December 7, 2022 Nicely wrought, Jeffrey, in every technical and thematic dimension. Reply Cynthia Erlandson December 8, 2022 Excellent description of the art. I hadn’t even noticed the “tiny hand” — thank you for pointing it out. Reply Margaret Coats December 16, 2022 Jeffrey, your interpretation of the woman’s bearing is just what I might have thought. On any trip abroad with children, we carried a disproportionate supply of medicines for them, and even so, it wasn’t always enough. She looks so resigned to the voyage, but there are those few hairs blowing as strongly as her hat ribbons, whose threatening color you notice. I see that the sonnet rhyme scheme is the most intertwined Spenserian type. And you’ve loaded it with tension! Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Mo December 7, 2022 Thank you, Jeffrey. This poem is a wake up call to us all about our own uncertainty today. Well done! Reply
C.B. Anderson December 7, 2022 Nicely wrought, Jeffrey, in every technical and thematic dimension. Reply
Cynthia Erlandson December 8, 2022 Excellent description of the art. I hadn’t even noticed the “tiny hand” — thank you for pointing it out. Reply
Margaret Coats December 16, 2022 Jeffrey, your interpretation of the woman’s bearing is just what I might have thought. On any trip abroad with children, we carried a disproportionate supply of medicines for them, and even so, it wasn’t always enough. She looks so resigned to the voyage, but there are those few hairs blowing as strongly as her hat ribbons, whose threatening color you notice. I see that the sonnet rhyme scheme is the most intertwined Spenserian type. And you’ve loaded it with tension! Reply
