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American Gothic

American Gothic is a regional classic in the history of American arts. It is an iconic

painting that shows the character of early American society. The portrait is a timeless piece of art

by Grant Wood showing the anti-modernism and rural life of Americans. John Stone inspired by

the portrait written the poem, American Gothic in which he reflects on every element of the

portrait that is hidden in the original portrait. When someone has a close look of the portrait, the

depth of the artistic work hidden in the portrait will become visible. In the poem, John Stone

shows these underlying thoughts and emotions that are hidden in the portrait. John Stone

interpreted the portrait in his words and showed the emotional reality painted by Grant Wood in

the portrait from an artistic perspective.

American Gothic portrait gave Grant Wood admiration as a respectable artist in the

American arts. Soon after the portrait got the fame, it was exhibited in London and became the

symbol of American regionalism. The main portrait is focused on an old farmer standing with his

stern daughter in front of their house. The old farmer was wearing a navy coat and holding a

pitchfork. There is a clear disgruntlement on the face of an old farmer. The farmer was bald and

the skin of his head was tanned by the strong rays of the sun which depict the hardships of early

American farmers. The continuous struggle of the farmer to build the modern society is clearly

prominent in the portrait. In the poem, the lines these two by now the sun this high also shows
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the hardships of early American farmers who used to work despite the blazing heat of the sun. In

the portrait, on the right side of a farmer, a young lady who was dressed up in a modest way and

her hairs were pulled neatly back. This lady was the daughter of an old farmer. The eyebrows

were furrowed which illustrates that she was glaring something distant and was not amazed by it.

The facial expression of the girl depicts the anger and emotions at something she was starring.

John Stone also points out the furrowed brows of the girl in his poem and wondered Whether

she remembered/ to turn off the stove (Line 34-35). In these line Stone, tried to explain the

stunning expression of the women, he was of the opinion that she was thinking about something

which made her anxious. The anxiety can be clearly seen on her face. However, despite rapid

fame, the women back in Iowa was not pleased by the painting. They were of the opinion that

Grant has not depicted the real culture of women in the form of Farmers daughter. One another

thing that is prominent in the portrait is the white farm house having a gothic style window.

The portrait got the name from the window. In the poem, John Stone also refers to the window in

line eight here for all time the borders of the Gothic window anticipate the ribs (Line 7-9).

The house of the farmer was wrapped with different varieties of plants some are tall, some are

small and windows are shutterless. There is a forest behind the house and its trees were tall

which can be clearly seen behind the roof of the house. The color of the leaves was changing

showing the start of the autumn season. The sky was clear and the shining rays of the sun can be

seen in the portrait. Grant wood balanced the dark saturation in the portrait and showed the

realistic view of early American societies.

The poem American Gothic by John Stone explores the hidden activities and the situation

of the farmers in early American settings. The original portrait of Grant Wood is interpreted by

various artists in different directions, but it remains as the most significant symbol of American
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resilience and regionalism. Grant Wood himself described hidden contemporary social issues in

the American society which are still debated in a different context. John Stone also describe the

portrait from his own perspective and if combined by portrait it represents different direction in

the American society. However, American Gothic is still the icon of American strength during a

crisis. In the beginning of the poem, Stone describe his own perspective Just outside the frame/

there has to be a dog/ chickens, cows and hay/ and a smokehouse (Line 1-4). In the poem, Stone

continuously emphasized on the situation of a farmer and his daughter which shows the readers

that both of them were stuck in the hardship of early American society. Stone also elaborates the

surroundings of the two people in the portrait and the thoughts going on in their mind which is

clear from their facial expressions. In the poem line, twenty-eight shows this creative liberty

asking the artist silently/ how much longer/ and worrying about the crops (Line 28-30). The

daughter of the farmer seems too concern about something else as described by Stone Whether

she remembered to turn off the stove (Line 35). Stones accurately describes the emotions on the

face of a farmer and his daughter long faces, the sober lips / above the upright spines / of this

couple this shows that both of them take care of their work and responsibilities (Lines15-17).

However, both the farmer and his daughter has some thought process going on which shows the

societal issues which made them look thoughtful.

In the other lines, stone describe their lifestyle linger [there] / within the patient fabric /

of the lives they wove (line 36-38). In these lines stone reveals the peculiar way artist portrayed

an old farmer and her daughter. According to Michaelson (2002), the peculiar way of portraying

the couple in the portrait shows the early lifestyle of Grant Wood where he used to live in Cedar

Rapids nearby Stone City and Anamosa. The early lifestyle has an impact on Wood which he

portrayed in his masterpiece arts. The iconic portrait also shows the features of an old farmer who
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is not working but thinking about his farms. He appears to be frustrated by something and holding

pitchfork in front of his house. The theme of tension and irritation casually connected in the portrait

which is expressed by John Stone in his poem. This theme is prominent throughout the poem.

The poem and the portrait are connected by the name American Gothic One shows the

picture of regionalism in early American society and the other shows the underlying thoughts and

emotions. Similar emotions are expressed in both the artwork and the literary work. The poem can

be called as the ekphrasis of Grant Wood piece of arts. The poem explains the narrative of the

painting of a farmer his unmarried daughter in the early American society. The context of the

portrait is sturdy and earnest, whereas the context of the poem is curious and creative with a sense

of humor. When someone examines both pieces of work together, the viewer will easily

comprehend the both the portrait and the poem. The portrait provides the visual insight of the

poem. Despite the visual insight, the portrait also raises few questions in the mind of viewers about

the farmer and her daughter. The viewer may ask why they were standing in front of their house

and holding pitchfork? What are the women glaring in the portrait? This also shows that farmer is

holding pitchfork to defend from some kind of attack either from a wild animal or something else.

The expression of her daughter also shows that she is glaring something dangerous is coming.

However, the poem describes the surrounding environment from a different perspective, but only

the artist knows the real context of the portrait.

The two are complementary to each other. The portrait is the artistic masterpiece of Grant

Wood which connected the regional American society of the past with his own lifestyle. The

portrait became the symbol of American spirit. The poem explains the hidden meaning of the

stunning surroundings in a unique and humorous way. The poem and the portrait show different

themes, but somehow shares a common theme of American Gothic which allows them to
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complement each other well. The story behind the old Polaroid photographs is still mysterious and

John Stone provided his own perspective of the portrait considering the environment and

connected the American society in the minds of the audience. The poem and the portrait express

the idea of timeless painting in the early American society.

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Works Cited

Mike, Michaelson. Finding American Gothic in Grant Wood Country. Daily Herald, 18

June 2002, p. 3

Stone, John. ""American Gothic"" Where Water Begins: New Poems and Prose. Baton Rouge,

LA: Louisiana State UP, 1998. 13-14. Print.

Wood, Grant. American Gothic. 1930. Oil on composition board. Art Institute of Chicago,

Chicago.