The legend of Lizzie Siddal

According to legend the red hair of Lizzie Siddal
Continued to grow even after death.

Digging down till their spades struck wood
And the loose earth brushed away
They hauled her heavy coffin back up to the surface.
Someone produced a crowbar from inside his coat
And forced the straining nails to yield.
The lid levered up plunged our faces momentarily
Into darkness, a candle flame flustered as the coffin exhaled.
Gagging on the stench we quickly tied our handkerchiefs steeped in camphor
Across our faces and held tightly onto our breath, watching wide-eyed
As grubby fingers combed the inside of the velvet-lined casket
Searching for the bundle of poems that had lain with her
Since Rossetti and I laid her to rest. They covered her face.
Strands of matted, greasy hair caught under fingernails
And clung to sweating palms leaving stains I doubt'll ever wash off.
The night wore on morosely. Someone wretched.
A pale moon, shrouded by a cloud, sank a little further down.
But gradually, some pages were untangled and extracted
Though the words were barely legible on the translucent sheets,
Smeared with the body-fat patina of decay. Since when, Dante
Has never forgiven her, his muse.
I paid each man his dues insisting that
Whatever you saw or think you saw this night
Must never be spoken of to anyone.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Dante
• Gabriel
• Rossetti
• Charles
• Augustus
• Howell
• poem
• poetry
• spoken
• word
• dramatic
• monologue
• andrew
• norris
• pre-raphelites
• lizzie
• siddal
• elizabeth
• pre-raphelite
• brotherhood
• muse

[GilesConradWatson]

Gripping and atmospheric.

[andrewnorris1]

@GilesConradWatson Thanks again, it is a great story, isn't it.

[tinySpectacle]

What an excellent video. I think often it's hard to do a "movie" type video with a poem because it can overshadow the words of the poem, images being so strong. But this works beautifully.

[andrewnorris1]

Your opinion means so much to me. I am delighted that you enjoyed this one. You are right to thinks that movie-type poems are a challenge but I felt that this was a challenge/risk worth taking. So glad that this one worked for you.

[XaveJamesGrey]

Bravo! Wonderfully written and executed Legend of Lizzie Siddal. I understand the narrator to be the art dealer Charles Augustus Howell? (Since Rossetti and I laid her to rest") Nice touch at the end: "I paid each man his due...." Clever. Nice editing of both image and sound. A favorite! Love it.

[andrewnorris1]

Yes, James, you are correct as to who the narrator is, well researched. I know this is quite different from my recent 'nature' postings but it seemed a great opportunity to create something with an 'atmosphere'. More nature pieces to follow in due course. Thanks for following my site, really appreciate it.

[LLLLEWSEYBOB]

ENGLAND`S TREASURE GONE FOREVER

[LLLLEWSEYBOB]

A Legend well re-created for

ENGLAND`S TREASURE GONE FOREVER

[DreamsLake]

Brilliant, macabre!

[DavidRandallCurtis]

Whoa... faved... great job on all fronts... I liked Roy's comment on this..