Darren Aronofsky is riding high – so to speak. His movie version of Noah is Biblical to some and anything but to others. It’s caused much controversy well before it was released and studios did have moments of worry about how the religious audiences would receive this movie.
It’s a baptism of fire for any director, never mind one usually associated with indie or more artistic choices. I have to admit, I still don’t know what The Fountain was about, but it remains a beautiful movie visually. This is, however, Aronosfky’s first attempt at a blockbuster, and it has the added pressure of being the first in line of Bible-themed movies from studios.
With all that riding on it, it’s hard to imagine that Aronofsky was inspired to write this story of Noah, in part, by a poem he did as a 13 year old for his seventh grade class.
Vera Fried, his seventh grade teacher assigned him a homework assignment -- to write a poem about peace. Young Aronofsky chose to write about the end of the world through Noah’s eyes. He describes his reaction to the story of Noah as equal parts horror and wonder, and he asked his 13 year old self the ultimate question: would he get on that boat. The resulting poem won him first place in a UN Poetry competition and started his career in the arts.
And, like every good student, he’s remained true to his word and dedicated his first book to his favourite teacher – a coffee-table book about Noah.
The Dove
A poem by Darren Aronofsky
January 13, 1982
Evil was in the world
The laughing crowd
Left the foolish man at his ark
Filled with animals
When the rain began to fall
It was hopeless
The man could not take the evil crowd with him
But he was allowed to bring his good family.
The rain continued through the night
And the cries of screaming men filled the air
The ark was afloat
Until the dove returned with the leaf
Evil still existed.
When the rainbows reached throughout the sky
The humble man and his family knew what it meant
The animals ran and flew freely with their newborn
The fog rose and the sun shone
Peace was in the air
And it soon appeared in all of man's heart.
He knew evil would not be kept away
For evil and war could not be destroyed
But neither was it possible to destroy peace
Evil is hard to end and peace is hard to begin
But the rainbow and the dove will always live
Within every man's heart.