Poetry Books
About
This project was about creating a poetry book cover and spread based on an author. I chose to do mine on Robert Frost. I illustrated the title of the book and the illustrations. His works reflect nature and the feeling of being and found. I chose to reflect this nature and the changing seasons he often describes for the front cover. Carpe Diem is the poem I illustrated for the spread. I wanted my colors to represent hope and change. I illustrate dragonflies flying upward off the page to show the idea of “seize the day”. I expanded the project by creating two other books and spreads to make a set. I chose Emily Dickinson and Sylvia Plath for the other two books. Emily Dickinson’s “The Railway Train” was the poem I chose to highlight on a spread.
I chose to illustrate the poem similar in style to the first book, using watercolors and a loose, abstract hand. I wanted the imagery to be easily interpreted while having a liquid and fluid movement. The third book was based on Sylvia Plath and highlights her poem “Poppies in July.” I wanted the movement of the watercolor illustration to show the sadness in the poem by having the drips. Plath refers to poppies as “little hell flames” so I chose a vibrant color to embody this analogy. The cover design was chosen based on Fig Tree by Plath from The Bell Jar.
