Echo,
Poor Oread to love your own sweet voice
who, with long stories, Hera would engage
while Zeus, amongst your sisters, made his choice
and thereby roused his consort’s jealous rage.
The vengeful Hera thus did you impeach
discovering the tricks that you had played.
She robbed you of the power of normal speech,
repeating only sounds that others made.
Thus, when infatuated, to address
the youth Narcissus you attempt in vain,
unable first to speak, you but express
the words that he has uttered back again.
So, when he shouts at you: “Please go away!”
his last two words are all that you can say…..
Hugh Wyles, August 10th.2008.
Oil on canvas, “Echo” (1887) by Alexandre Cabanel. (1823-1889).
Author notes
Note: Echo was an Oread or mountain nymph who loved the sound of her own voice. Zeus used her to distract his wife Hera with long and entertaining stories while he disported with other nymphs. Discovering the trickery, Hera punished Echo by taking away her voice except in foolish repetition of another’s shouted words.
Echo fell in love with a vain youth Narcissus but, unable to address him, he repulsed her and, heartbroken, she pined away, leaving only the sound of her voice.
Alexandre Cabanel (1823-1889) was a French painter of historical, classical and religious subjects. Also an eminent portrait painter, he was the preferred artist of Napoleon III. As an elected member of the Paris Salon jury, his refusal together with William Bouguereau to allow Edouard Manet and other impressionist painters to exhibit their works in the salon of 1863 lead to the formation of the Salon des Refuses.
Through his hundreds of pupils, Cabanel did more than any other artist of his generation to form the character of belle epoque French painting.
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Comments
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I'm so glad to have stumbled onto this write! I am a fan of mythology, and this tale was beautifully repeated in your charming poem. This one will echo in my mind for a while.
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Dear Hugh,
How sad for Oread not to be able to speak except in repetition of what others say. That can be very annoying as I've had that done to me in the past.
Another wonderful poem and painting to add to your collection. I love them.
Love Bea
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Ah, the story concise,
the message everlasting,
adapted in your perfect form.
Those skilled masters of realism
did their best to further their craft
and to prevent the upstarts from
displaying their impressions.
Another great inspiration piece.
M-C
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I actually know that myth, I think Mariza had a contest a while back on mythology and I used Echo and Narcissus as my subject...I think...or maybe I wrote about Bart and Homer Simpson, same difference.
It's my favorite of the last three paintings you've written about. The painting itself tells a story and for odd folk like me it tells more than just the one about Echo's plight.
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