a poem a day ([info]exceptindreams) wrote,
2008-12-14 11:53:00
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363: Beauty and the Beast: An Anniversary

"Beauty and the Beast: An Anniversary"
Jane Yolen

It is winter now,
and the roses are blooming again,
their petals bright against the snow.
My father died last April;
my sisters no longer write,
except at the turning of the year,
content with their fine houses
and their grandchildren.
Beast and I
putter in the gardens
and walk slowly on the forest paths.
He is graying around the muzzle
and I have silver combs
to match my hair.
I have no regrets.
None.
Though sometimes I do wonder
what sounds children
might have made
running across the marble halls,
swinging from the birches
over the roses
in the snow.
Tags: jane yolen

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  • 29 comments

[info]sasuran

December 14 2008, 17:20:14 UTC 3 years ago

... WOW. Just... wow. Thank you so much for posting this; I think this may be my new favourite poem. I love the imagery.

[info]poisonedwriter

December 14 2008, 17:47:15 UTC 3 years ago

This is incredible. Thanks so much for sharing this. I've never found any poetry about my favorite fairy tale, and this is really incredible.

[info]carduustristus

December 14 2008, 17:48:34 UTC 3 years ago

Thank you for this.

[info]airdnaxela

December 14 2008, 18:30:31 UTC 3 years ago

Aww, now I wanna watch the Disney movie...or at least listen to the soundtrack.

[info]raienna

December 14 2008, 18:57:25 UTC 3 years ago

*flails*

You used the poem!

Seriously, this has been one of my favorites for years, but the book stays on the shelf at the local library, untouched and unappreciated. And now it's finally being ready by people, by those who watch this journal.

[info]exceptindreams

December 14 2008, 19:00:26 UTC 3 years ago

Yes, thank you.

[info]raienna

December 14 2008, 22:01:33 UTC 3 years ago

absolutely no problem. If you ever have need of a random theme again, let me know and I'll see if I can dig something up.

[info]raienna

December 14 2008, 19:02:06 UTC 3 years ago

*read by people

Wow, dyslexic keyboard.

[info]murasaki_1966

3 years ago

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[info]raienna

3 years ago

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[info]murasaki_1966

3 years ago

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[info]serai1

December 14 2008, 21:02:13 UTC 3 years ago

Wait, didn't Beauty's love break the spell so he was no longer a beast? Wasn't that the whole point of the story?

[info]alzzers

December 14 2008, 23:32:22 UTC 3 years ago

yes, that confuses me about this poem too...

[info]tangled_kisses

December 15 2008, 00:34:34 UTC 3 years ago

yeah. but everyone totally liked him better as beast.

[info]bronchitikat

December 15 2008, 09:41:17 UTC 3 years ago

That's what I was thinking too. So why the 'no children' bit? Someone not remembering their fairy tales too well?

[info]raienna

December 15 2008, 16:32:58 UTC 3 years ago

It's Jane Yolen. Considering some of her other books (Briar Rose, for instance, which is a Holocaust story based on Sleeping Beauty) the departure from the traditional tale was intended.

The way I see it is more of a "what if" exploration of the world of the story. What if the curse wasn't broken? What if the fairy tale didn't end with a prince and his bride riding off into the sunset? Would her love still be enough?

[info]bronchitikat

3 years ago

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[info]amadareneko

December 14 2008, 23:11:01 UTC 3 years ago

I wonder if the third-to-last line is a deliberate Robert Frost tribute.

[info]shoelaceswitch

December 15 2008, 04:41:11 UTC 3 years ago

I bet it is. 'Birches' is all about love and growing up and perspectives and simple things in life. I bet I bet I bet good call.

[info]amnotcute

December 14 2008, 23:31:55 UTC 3 years ago

That's beautiful.

[info]tangled_kisses

December 15 2008, 00:33:23 UTC 3 years ago

oh. oh. oh.
i love the real-life perspective of belle.
thanks for sharing this. <3

[info]makibaka

December 15 2008, 02:01:24 UTC 3 years ago

i love this. this is one of my favorite fairytales and i always appreciate versions or other takes on it. :)

[info]virginangelic

December 15 2008, 02:46:39 UTC 3 years ago

Wow. I love this.

[info]shoelaceswitch

December 15 2008, 04:43:26 UTC 3 years ago

Does anybody know if there were sisters in the original fairy tale, or if that is maybe a bit from the poet's life? There are no sisters in the Disney movie, so I'm curious.

[info]raienna

December 15 2008, 04:50:39 UTC 3 years ago

Generally, there are sisters in folktale sources for Beauty and the Beast. They are never as kind, though. I'm guessing they cut them from the Disney movie to make it easier to follow.

[info]makibaka

December 15 2008, 05:55:48 UTC 3 years ago

yes, in the original stories she was the youngest of three

[info]bronchitikat

December 15 2008, 09:42:15 UTC 3 years ago

Typical fairy/folk story then.

[info]murasaki_1966

December 17 2008, 04:41:15 UTC 3 years ago

Go and read the Perrault version, then watch Jean Cocteau's Belle et la Bete

A good outline of the tale's origins is here.
http://www.balletmet.org/Notes/StoryOrigin.html

[info]meteor_wish

December 15 2008, 20:21:51 UTC 3 years ago

Just beautiful.
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