UA fanthorpe have moved her pen and has changed words into melodious poems. She has written poems based on Christmas, paintings and many other themes. The two poems that stands out the most for me are not my best side and Woman Ironing because in both these poem Fanthorpe challenges the painters point of view and gives a different perspective on the events depicted. She always tried to bring out the women behind the canvas by giving her voice. Not my best side and woman ironing share a similar idea where in both the paintings the characters tells the story.
UA fanthorpe has changed the artists vision of the painting and has transformed it into the characters story. In the painting the woman say’s “The artist didn’t give me a chance to pose properly”. Fanthorpe has brought the woman alive by criticizing the way the artist has depicted her. The criticism of the artist continues as she say’s “Poor chap he has obsession with triangles”. UA fanthorpe has analyzed this piece of art and is giving comments on it. The main mission of UA fanthorpe was to give the voice to the women in this piece of art and this links with other poems she have written such as woman ironing.
In woman ironing it has a similar idea of giving the voice to a women In the late 19th century and early 20th century woman did not have the right to speak out or to express their opinion and was held back. It was considered that their main aim was housekeeping but this convention was challenged by the suffragists and the poems by UA fanthorpe is a tribute to them who spoke out the right time and who broke the convention of women does not have a voice. Woman ironing is inspired by paintings by Edgar Degas of woman ironing from the 1880s.
Both the poems are depicted on paintings and they give different perspective. Woman ironing is a peculiar piece of poem because UA fanthorpe used her poems to show her tribute to women and one of the great example is Mother scrubbing the floor but in this poem it is different. In woman ironing UA Fanthorpe neglected the feminism of women and gave traits of masculinity in it. In the poem it say’s “Show us that muscle power”. This is not conventionally linked with women. In this poem the fact that she is a women is also neglected as it says in the poem ” I might’ve been an engine, not a person”.
Another example which shows the negligence of feminism is ” And can anyone tell that under my arms I’ m sweating” This poem does not represent UA Fanthorpe’s intention of upholding women. In both of the poems what UA FAnthorpe wanted to depict was the work of art which they both share and wanted to give a voice to both the characters of the painting. Edgar Degas is famous for Ballerina paintings and this painting of women ironing is not the type of painting he usually does.
In woman ironing the background seems dull and boring and in one picture the woman ironing is not shown but just the shadow of her. In the picture where it shows her shadow it shows that women at the time were behind a wall and were not given freedom and this links in with the theme of giving the women a voice. UA fanthorpe brings this imagery of women’s shadow and links it in the poem. it says “You are not here to tell me what to do “. This shows the authority and superiority. She is considered as a slave and an e. g for this is ” I am used to rudeness”.
This clearly suggests that she is not even given the equal respects as for other characters. She is considered as slave and with the dull and boring background the imagery is portrayed to the audience. In both of these poems UA fanthorpe was portraying a message which that she wants to give the women the voice which thy didn’t have i the late 19th century. She wants to give the voice and wants them to be considered equal and she has done with the help paintings. She has given a voice to the characters which was just some clutter of paint.
