For this assignment, I chose the above image titled On the Dunes (Lady Shannon and Kitty) by James Jebusa Shannon. Shannon painted this portrait of his wife and daughter sometime around 1900 to 1910. I was drawn to this painting because it reminded me of being read to by my own mother. One of our favorites to read together was “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost. I chose this audio pairing to evoke the feeling of being read to by a parental figure as illustrated in the painting. The painting becomes an experience when paired with poetry reading; in this particular work I am drawing on my own experiences and memories of childhood.
Terms of Use: On the Dunes, Reading by Emma Preston. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Hi Emma,
The painting you selected is beautiful. The read-aloud of Robert Frost was the perfect pairing. It’s as if you can see Lady Shannon’s lips moving along with the audio. The soft colors of the dunes rising around them makes the moment feel peaceful and intimate. When I first looked at the image before reading your introduction or audio, I thought of Claude Debussy’s whimsical Rêverie.
I have many fond memories of being read to as a child. When I was a classroom teacher, my favorite time of the day was reading aloud to my students during their snack break. Now that I have taken on a new role as media specialist, I envy my library aide who gets to do the read-alouds in the library.
Hi Emma,
I agree with Christy’s comment, I thought the Robert Frost audio pairing was perfect. Your pairing of this picture and the audio remind me of that one scene in Little Women where they spend the day at the beach in their fancy outfits. I can’t imagine how hard it is to get the sand out of those dresses.
Did you also have to read The Road Not Taken every year in elementary and middle? I don’t know much Robert Frost, but I feel like I know that poem by heart.
Emma!!
I am so fortune to have been grouped with you this week, because the experience you created with this pairing was magnificent. I felt that the narrators voiced matched beautifully with the woman represented in the painting, and I felt such ease as I listened. I also have lovely memories of being read to by my mom, and this brought me back to those feelings. Almost teared up a little at the thought of being softly read to outdoors by a loved one as is happening in the photo. Wonderful job, and so creative using a poem narration as your audio!