Which is more effective: the painting or the poem?
Would it be fair to ask which one is effective: the poem or the painting? Generally speaking, no. I believe that art and poetry are better with each other. Sometimes a poem may give the feeling while the painting of the poem can’t. Nude Descending the Staircase is an abstract painting, and especially an abstract painting may be interpreted in various ways. One could not understand that there is a nude female descending the staircase without knowing the title of the painting. First, the poet X. J. Kennedy describes the painting. Due to the blur of the painting, most of the images are not clear. Some of the lines, such as "Her lips imprint the swinging air" shows that the poet actually animates the scene in his mind. “She sifts in sunlight down the stairs. With nothing on. Nor on her mind.” These lines makes us look at the painting in a complete different way. Now, the painting means more than a female walking. Not only the physical appearance of the woman, but also the thoughts in her mind. More precisely, the lack of thoughts in her mind. As a result, we can say that the poem added a new meaning to the painting. A different way of thinking created variety of point of views.