Patterns of Fabric

Visual media can add a lot to the meaning of a work as a whole. Amy Lowell’s poem “Patterns” is one of her most famous works. Artwork inspired by this poem assists in the understanding of themes being conveyed. The content of the poetry deals with a reflection on the speaker’s life and is enriched with figurative language such as metaphors and imagery. A motif of this poem is the stiff gown worn by the speaker which helps portray the restraints placed upon her by society. The artwork inspired by this poem, the silhouette of lady on various patterns of fabric, help reinforce the message being conveyed by Lowell in her poem. The silhouette helps establish how the speaker feels trapped by her stiff dress. The encasement of the silhouette by all the fabric emphasizes this lack of movement. The contrast from the pattern of the background and the pattern of the silhouette also helps show how the speaker of the poem has different ideals then those around her. The selection of detail for this artwork is very thoughtful, as the speaker addresses the patterns of a garden, so the fabric designs all have to do with nature. The palette of this artwork is composed of colors that are associated with nature and water, important symbols in the poem. The reuse of some patterns of fabric are crucial to the representation of the poem. This helps display the repetitive themes of the speakers life and how the things she must conform to present themselves in different ways.