“The Journey of Life - Epilogue”

                                                                                               by Thomas Cole

 

                           “ Each season of life has its hidden demons.” 

                                                                                               (from “Epilogue”)

              When I first read this wordy, clinically written piece by Thomas Cole, I tried to simplify the message so I could write about it, but had difficulty with even two readings, unearthing something interesting and somewhat intelligent to say.  With a third examination a couple weeks later, I am drawn still to what originally attracted my attention which is the series of paintings by Jasper Johns called The Seasons.   This group of paintings include  Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.  I wondered during class discussion why noone else mentioned the paintings, because they seemed to me the most interesting feature of the writing.  The rest seemed a repeating of the Introduction.   

              The artist, Johns, portrays the ages of life as four seasons, paintings which represent his autobiography.  In Spring, childhood is shown as a rainy night, the child pictured is frail and vulnerable, his life experience packed to bring to the next season.  The hand of time reaches upward.  This representation, I believe, is a more accurate portrayal of childhood than the sunny distortion from behind rose colored glasses view that many take for granted is a routine experience of childhood.  Childhood is the time you live through when you’re young that you spend the rest of your life trying to get over.  (from Hope Floats)

              In Summer, the rain has cleared, the hand of time reaches outward, and portraits of the artists life experience are displayed, as well as a demon face which is shown in each of the four paintings.  The monster represents the hidden demon that exists in each of the ages of life.  This season is a busy and productive time, the downfall being possibly the uncertain future, maybe the maddening search for self.  Life experience is securely contained for travel to the next season, Fall.

              In Fall, which represents middle age, things fall apart.  “The cold hard facts of life and death come to play a dominant role in midlife.”  The hand of time points down towards the devastation of life experience symbols, and this age is shown as being fraught with crisis, turmoil, despair, and physical decline.  During these years you are forced to face the truth of your own mortality and aging process, and it is not an easy reality. 

              Winter brings acceptance of the reality of the aging process, and the hand of time is portrayed in a clocklike manner, representing an end of denial of old age, a time to go with the clock.  The ladder is upright and allows the individual to move upward toward the stars and spirituality.  Obviously, the season of winter, old age, seems the most serene, and appears to bring the most happiness. 

              I admire the artist’s individual interpretations of the stages of life and the problems each holds, and thought his was an original and entertaining representation.  Although the Epilogue took longer to read through and was more difficult to understand than some of the other readings, I believe there was value in the assignment.  However, I really would not search out literature of this type for my leisure reading.