Thursday, September 19, 2013

More similes for Dollygirl

"The short-clipped manes spring back like roosters' combs"  ~~ "Winged Team," by Jessie Haas, in Hoofprints: Horse Poems

"Chain mail polished like woven silver" ~~ "Treasure," by Jessie Haas

"Horses are swimming in the sea.
Their long manes slide like foam
down the green, glassy wave-troughs."  ~~ "The Spanish Armada Retreats," by Jessie Haas

"Like a prairie fire, the horseback idea
spread across the grasslands."  ~~ "Flare-up," by Jessie Haas

"He first saw one with the corner of his left eye, a wisp of pale sheen that faded away; but others appeared soon after: some like dimly shining smoke, some like misty flames flickering slowly above unseen candles; here and there they twisted like ghostly sheets unfurled by hidden hands."  ~~ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

"While the grey light lasted, they cowered under a black stone like worms, shrinking, lest the winged terror should pass and spy them with its cruel eyes."  ~~ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

4 comments:

christinethecurious said...

Sorry, this has nothing to do with similes.

I'm going to submit a knitting pattern to a magazine on an Arts and Crafts theme - as I was googling and wikipeda-ing around (and putting books on reserve) I noticed that John Ruskin popped up as a leading theoretician in the Arts and Crafts movement - and I know that he influenced Charlotte Mason.

I also know that you know an awful lot more about her than I do.

The Arts and Crafts Movement didn't appear to do much with clothing - the articles I've seen so far don't even mention household textiles much. Perhaps stained glass and houses last longer so people still buy them now and that's why the information is current.

But I'm not going to knit a house.

Any ideas for me about what John Ruskin (Or Miss Mason) thought were appropriate in clothing, and household textiles?

Thanks!
Christine

Mama Squirrel said...

Hi Christine,

That's a pretty big question!

Overall, I think most of what Charlotte had to say about clothing was in terms of quality and natural materials. She thought wool was far superior to cotton! She was a big supporter of traditional trades and crafts such as pottery, leather, and needlework.

The name that comes to mind is Ann Macbeth of the Glasgow School of Art Embroideries. More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Macbeth. You can also read more about her influence in Chic Thrills: A Fashion Reader. I was able to access part of the book on Google Reader. It seems like she was right at the center of clothing and design around the turn of the last century. Does that help?

christinethecurious said...

Oh my yes, that's lovely!

Thanks,
Christine

PS I'm thinking I need to get a copy of the 3rd E. Nesbit book with the sand fairy for the chapter about the travel to the future when everyone wears artistic dress, all children have a safe room to play in without an open fireplace and a boy is named Wells - just in case there are illustrations!

Mama Squirrel said...

Chapter XII, here. http://www.forgottenfutures.com/game/ff8/amulet.htm#ch12 But the illustrations aren't too plentiful.