The Song of the Lark in Retro Chapter Chicks

Aug 31, 2014 Candi rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics-shelf

4.5 stars

"She used to drag her mattress beside her low window and lie awake for a long while, vibrating with excitement, as a machine vibrates from speed. Life rushed in upon her through that window - or so it seemed. In reality, of course, life rushes from within, not from without. There is no work of art so big or so beautiful that it was not once all contained in some youthful body, like this one which lay on the floor in the moonlight, pulsing with ardour and anticipation."

With exquisite pro 4.5 stars

"She used to drag her mattress beside her low window and lie awake for a long while, vibrating with excitement, as a machine vibrates from speed. Life rushed in upon her through that window - or so it seemed. In reality, of course, life rushes from within, not from without. There is no work of art so big or so beautiful that it was not once all contained in some youthful body, like this one which lay on the floor in the moonlight, pulsing with ardour and anticipation."

With exquisite prose, Willa Cather conveys what it means to be an artist and the journey one takes to realize a dream. Using the backdrop of the immense plains and the awe-inspiring canyons, Cather likens the power of the artist's progress to the quest of the early pioneers into the awesome vastness of the West. The descriptions of the landscape of Colorado and the Southwest are simply breathtaking. The drive of the artist, the despair, the struggles, the sacrifices, and the triumphs are compelling.

Daughter of a minister, Thea Kronborg is born into a large family and from an early age one recognizes her individuality and her spirit. Thea begins her musical journey by taking piano lessons from a down and out musician, Wunsch, who wandered into town on the heels of the local vagrant, Spanish Johnny. She befriends those much older than herself, including the aforementioned eccentrics as well as the resident physician, Doctor Archie, and a railway man, Ray Kennedy. Her talent is steadfastly supported by her mother and admired by her somewhat flighty, spinster aunt. I adored the young Thea - her openness, her freedom, her youthful earnestness, and her vitality. A poignant turn of events gives Thea the opportunity she needs to make the next step in her early career. Traveling to Chicago, she continues her piano training until her voice is eventually discovered to be her true calling.

On the brink of grasping what it really means to be an artist and a singer, Thea travels to Arizona upon the urging of a somewhat self-indulgent and wealthy young man, Fred Ottenburg. Communing with nature and the spirits of the ancient Native Americans, Thea undergoes another transformation.

"Panther Canyon was the home of innumerable swallows. They built nests in the wall far above the hollow groove in which Thea's own rock-chamber lay. They seldom ventured above the rim of the canyon, to the flat, wind-swept tableland. Their world was the blue air-river between the canyon walls. In that blue gulf the arrow-shaped birds swam all day long, with only an occasional movement of the wings. The only sad thing about them was their timidity: the way in which they lived their lives between the echoing cliffs and never dared to rise out of the shadow of the canyon walls. As they swam past her door, Thea often felt how easy it would be to dream one's life out in some cleft in the world."

The way in which Thea evolves as a true artist comes with a price. Leaving behind family and friends - not just physically but also emotionally, and lacking true companionship – must one suffer this to reach the destination, to achieve fame? Can these things be overcome? What will ultimately become of Thea? Must cherished memories be left behind or can one experience the joy of more carefree days when there were endless possibilities? I believe these questions are not exclusive to the artist; perhaps these are questions pertinent to any human being that once had a dream.

What I loved most about this novel were the descriptions of the great outdoors - the plains, the canyons, and the grandeur of the heavens. I did not necessarily like the older Thea, although I continued to root for her. She was thoroughly believable. I cherished those persons that encouraged Thea and gave her the best of their own selves to help her along the way - especially Doctor Archie. Doctor Archie, he really did 'get it'! "It came over him now that the unexpected favours of fortune, no matter how dazzling, do not mean very much to us. They may excite us or divert us for a time, but when we look back, the only things we cherish are those which in some way met our original want; the desire which formed us in early youth, undirected, and of its own accord."
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