Research Paper American Gothic mo46

Surname 1 Student Name Professor Name Course Date “American Gothic” “American Gothic” is a regional classic in the history of American arts. It is an iconic painting that shows the character of early American society. The portrait is a timeless piece of art by Grant Wood showing the anti-modernism and rural life of Americans. John Stone inspired by the portrait written the poem, “American Gothic” in which he reflects on every element of the portrait that is hidden in the original portrait. When someone has a close look of the portrait, the depth of the artistic work hidden in the portrait will become visible. In the poem, John Stone shows these underlying thoughts and emotions that are hidden in the portrait. John Stone interpreted the portrait in his words and showed the emotional reality painted by Grant Wood in the portrait from an artistic perspective. American Gothic portrait gave Grant Wood iration as a respectable artist in the American arts. Soon after the portrait got the fame, it was exhibited in London and became the symbol of American regionalism. The main portrait is focused on an old farmer standing with his stern daughter in front of their house. The old farmer was wearing a navy coat and holding a pitchfork. There is a clear disgruntlement on the face of an old farmer. The farmer was bald and the skin of his head was tanned by the strong rays of the sun which depict the hardships of early American farmers. The continuous struggle of the farmer to build the modern society is clearly prominent in the portrait. In the poem, the lines “these two by now the sun this high” also shows

Surname 2 the hardships of early American farmers who used to work despite the blazing heat of the sun. In the portrait, on the right side of a farmer, a young lady who was dressed up in a modest way and her hairs were pulled neatly back. This lady was the daughter of an old farmer. The eyebrows were furrowed which illustrates that she was glaring something distant and was not amazed by it. The facial expression of the girl depicts the anger and emotions at something she was starring. John Stone also points out the furrowed brows of the girl in his poem and wondered “Whether she ed/ to turn off the stove” (Line 34-35). In these line Stone, tried to explain the stunning expression of the women, he was of the opinion that she was thinking about something which made her anxious. The anxiety can be clearly seen on her face. However, despite rapid fame, the women back in Iowa was not pleased by the painting. They were of the opinion that Grant has not depicted the real culture of women in the form of Farmer’s daughter. One another thing that is prominent in the portrait is the white farm house having a “gothic” style window. The portrait got the name from the window. In the poem, John Stone also refers to the window in line eight “here for all time the borders of the Gothic window anticipate the ribs” (Line 7-9). The house of the farmer was wrapped with different varieties of plants some are tall, some are small and windows are shutterless. There is a forest behind the house and its trees were tall which can be clearly seen behind the roof of the house. The color of the leaves was changing showing the start of the autumn season. The sky was clear and the shining rays of the sun can be seen in the portrait. Grant wood balanced the dark saturation in the portrait and showed the realistic view of early American societies. The poem “American Gothic” by John Stone explores the hidden activities and the situation of the farmers in early American settings. The original portrait of Grant Wood is interpreted by various artists in different directions, but it remains as the most significant symbol of American

Surname 3 resilience and regionalism. Grant Wood himself described hidden contemporary social issues in the American society which are still debated in a different context. John Stone also describe the portrait from his own perspective and if combined by portrait it represents different direction in the American society. However, American Gothic is still the icon of American strength during a crisis. In the beginning of the poem, Stone describe his own perspective “Just outside the frame/ there has to be a dog/ chickens, cows and hay/ and a smokehouse” (Line 1-4). In the poem, Stone continuously emphasized on the situation of a farmer and his daughter which shows the readers that both of them were stuck in the hardship of early American society. Stone also elaborates the surroundings of the two people in the portrait and the thoughts going on in their mind which is clear from their facial expressions. In the poem line, twenty-eight shows this creative liberty “asking the artist silently/ how much longer/ and worrying about the crops” (Line 28-30). The daughter of the farmer seems too concern about something else as described by Stone “Whether she ed to turn off the stove” (Line 35). Stones accurately describes the emotions on the face of a farmer and his daughter “long faces, the sober lips / above the upright spines / of this couple” this shows that both of them take care of their work and responsibilities (Lines15-17). However, both the farmer and his daughter has some thought process going on which shows the societal issues which made them look thoughtful. In the other lines, stone describe their lifestyle “linger [there] / within the patient fabric / of the lives they wove” (line 36-38). In these lines stone reveals the peculiar way artist portrayed an old farmer and her daughter. According to Michaelson (2002), the peculiar way of portraying the couple in the portrait shows the early lifestyle of Grant Wood where he used to live in Cedar Rapids nearby Stone City and Anamosa. The early lifestyle has an impact on Wood which he portrayed in his masterpiece arts. The iconic portrait also shows the features of an old farmer who

Surname 4 is not working but thinking about his farms. He appears to be frustrated by something and holding pitchfork in front of his house. The theme of tension and irritation casually connected in the portrait which is expressed by John Stone in his poem. This theme is prominent throughout the poem. The poem and the portrait are connected by the name “American Gothic” One shows the picture of regionalism in early American society and the other shows the underlying thoughts and emotions. Similar emotions are expressed in both the artwork and the literary work. The poem can be called as the ekphrasis of Grant Wood piece of arts. The poem explains the narrative of the painting of a farmer his unmarried daughter in the early American society. The context of the portrait is sturdy and earnest, whereas the context of the poem is curious and creative with a sense of humor. When someone examines both pieces of work together, the viewer will easily comprehend the both the portrait and the poem. The portrait provides the visual insight of the poem. Despite the visual insight, the portrait also raises few questions in the mind of viewers about the farmer and her daughter. The viewer may ask why they were standing in front of their house and holding pitchfork? What are the women glaring in the portrait? This also shows that farmer is holding pitchfork to defend from some kind of attack either from a wild animal or something else. The expression of her daughter also shows that she is glaring something dangerous is coming. However, the poem describes the surrounding environment from a different perspective, but only the artist knows the real context of the portrait. The two are complementary to each other. The portrait is the artistic masterpiece of Grant Wood which connected the regional American society of the past with his own lifestyle. The portrait became the symbol of American spirit. The poem explains the hidden meaning of the stunning surroundings in a unique and humorous way. The poem and the portrait show different themes, but somehow shares a common theme of American Gothic which allows them to

Surname 5 complement each other well. The story behind the old Polaroid photographs is still mysterious and John Stone provided his own perspective of the portrait considering the environment and connected the American society in the minds of the audience. The poem and the portrait express the idea of timeless painting in the early American society.

Surname 6 Works Cited Mike, Michaelson. “Finding ‘American Gothic’ in ‘Grant Wood Country’”. Daily Herald, 18 June 2002, p. 3 Stone, John. ""American Gothic"" Where Water Begins: New Poems and Prose. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State UP, 1998. 13-14. Print. Wood, Grant. American Gothic. 1930. Oil on composition board. Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago.