Standing Female Nude
Poem
Six hours like this for a few francs
Belly nipple arse in the window light,
he drains the colour from me. Further to the right
Madame. And do try to be still.
I shall be represented analytically and hung
in great museums. The bourgeoisie will coo
at such an image of a river whore. They call it Art.
Maybe. He is concerned with volume and space,
I with the next meal. You’re getting thin,
Madame, this is not good. My breasts hang
slightly low, the studio is cold. In the tea leaves
I can see the Queen of England gazing
on my shape. Magnificent, she murmurs,
moving on. It makes me laugh. His name
is Georges. They tell me he’s a genius.
There are times he does not concentrate
and stiffens for my warmth.
He possesses me on a canvas, as he dips the brush
repeatedly into the paint. Little man,
you’ve not the money for arts I sell.
Both poor, we make our living how we can.
I ask him, Why do you do this? Because
I have to. There’s no choice. Don’t talk.
My smile confuses him. These artists
take themselves too seriously. At night, I fill myself
with wine and dance around the bars. When it’s finished,
he shows me proudly, lights a cigarette. I say
Twelve francs. And get my shawl. It does not look like me.
Title
- Dramatic monologue, has an internal audience: the voice of the speaker + the voice of a person in the poem (in this case, the artist)
- Predominant techniques used in the poem: short sentences, conversational tone, strong epithets, caesuras enjambments, personification
Analysis
Six hours like this for a few francs
- Long hours and less pay, shows injustice
Belly nipple arse in the window light,
- Deconstruction of the female body.
- Asyndeton shows that the whole body is revealed and that these parts of the model’s body are the ones that seem the most prominent in the “window light”.
- The deconstruction of the female body is a common technique in the cubism which is a form of art that concerns volume and space and paints objects with only geometric shapes
he drains the colour from me. Further to the right
- Ironic as he drains the colour from the woman and brings life to a canvas by doing just the opposite of “draining”. The woman’s energy is transcended onto the canvas. Can also be taken literally as she is feeling cold while standing next to the window and therefore she turns pale
- “Further to the right”: Voice of the artist. Also shows that the woman is reduced to her femininity which is exposed in front of a male artist
Madame. And do try to be still.
- Command shows the power the artist has over her.
I shall be represented analytically and hung
- This shows that the painting is of great value and therefore must come at a great price. Evidently the artist does not get this and this therefore suggests that the artist gets cheated out of his money
in great museums. The bourgeoisie will coo
- This shows that the painting is of great value and therefore must come at a great price. Evidently the artist does not get this and this therefore suggests that the artist gets cheated out of his money
- Cynical. Seems disgusted by their appreciation for the open nakedness of a woman
- French for “the public”, mainly the middle class.
at such an image of a river whore. They call it Art.
- Allusion to a poem by Oscar Wilde called “Thames” the river here can mean the river Seine that passes through Paris.
Maybe. He is concerned with volume and space,
I with the next meal. You’re getting thin,
- While the artist focuses on his work, she is thinking about whether she will get her next meat.
- Shows the insensitivity of the artist as he doesn’t care whether she is able to take care of herself and in spite of her suffering, he still expects her to be able to feed herself. He is objectifying her.
Madame, this is not good. My breasts hang
- Open discussion of the woman’s body
slightly low, the studio is cold. In the tea leaves
- Metaphor for the future. The woman knows how to fortune- tell and therefore the artist used her to see whether his painting will become a succuss or not.
I can see the Queen of England gazing
- Also shows the Q ueen’s insensitivity about the conditions in which the painting was made and the shame the model went through.
on my shape. Magnificent, she murmurs,
moving on. It makes me laugh. His name
is Georges. They tell me he’s a genius.
- Georges Baraque: artist. Known for cubism and abstract painting
- She is not convinced of ‘their’ claims
There are times he does not concentrate
and stiffens for my warmth.
- Because the model is standing nude in front of him and therefore is sexually aroused.
He possesses me on a canvas, as he dips the brush
- Because he cannot possess her in real life he does so on the canvas, changing her features to suit his tastes. He can’t own her in real life, only her figure.
- symbolic for the male reproductive organ.
repeatedly into the paint. Little man,
- Insult on manhood. another reference to the male reproductive organ.
you’ve not the money for arts I sell.
- “arts” refers to sex. Shows that the artist is so poor that he cannot afford to have her.
Both poor, we make our living how we can.
I ask him, Why do you do this? Because
I have to. There’s no choice. Don’t talk.
- Second voice, this makes the poem a dramatic monologue. The words “don’t talk” show that the artist regards the woman as an object that should not have the power of speech. This is objectification.
My smile confuses him. These artists
- She finds artists big-headed
take themselves too seriously. At night, I fill myself
with wine and dance around the bars. When it’s finished,
- She contrasts her life with “these artists” by showing that she is able to make herself happy while they work day and night and get paid very little
he shows me proudly, lights a cigarette. I say
Twelve francs. And get my shawl. It does not look like me.
- Shows her bitterness towards the artist as she stands for hours naked in the cold, gives up her dignity and finally recieves only 12 francs for her hard effort.
- Pithy comment