Artist'S Model and Other Poems

In An Artists Model and Other Poems, preferring to portray his modela womanwith whom he has fallen in lovein words rather than in paint, author David J.Murray off ers an extended hymn of praise to her, expressing unresolved yearningthroughout.

Following a prologue setting the scene, he presents her with four gifts, eachconsisting of a set of twelve poems. Th e fi rst set of poems describes what its likespending Christmas without her; the second set of poems compares her to theGreek goddess Athena; the third set of poems likens her to a ballerina; and thefourth set of poems, written in summer, compares her to the beauty of the season.

Between each set are entractes consisting of several poems that comment on thecomplexities of their situation. Th e collection ends with an epilogue that recallsthe mood of the prologue.

Reflecting the conflict between Murrays emotions and his sense of propriety withregard to his model, An Artists Model and Other Poems presents a cycle of poemsthat are unabashedly of the high-fl ung romantic genre.