I have to do a verbal visual essay on Richard Harris' song entitled "MacArthur Park". What I basically need help with is the visual component.

**If you didn't know already, a verbal visual essay is a mindmap with verbals and visuals combined to express your interpretation of the theme(s), the gist, the intent, the meaning of a work of literature (a play, novel, poem, short story, song).

There must be 5 quotes from the work (with page/line reference) and 5 comments of your own about the work. And there must be a one paragraph explanation of the meaning, the intent of your visual representation.

The following may be incorporated into the collage:
- the Gestalt (total impression)
- focus of interest
- symbols
- colour symbolism
- allusion
- subliminals
- placement of verbals
- use of negative space (space not used)
- juxtaposition/foil/contrast
- aesthetics (form)

-----------------------------------------
Lyrics for: MacArthur Park

MacArthur Park
Richard Harris

Spring was never waiting for us, girl
It ran one step ahead
As we followed in the dance
Between the parted pages and were pressed
In love's hot, fevered iron
Like a striped pair of pants

MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!

I recall the yellow cotton dress
Foaming like a wave
On the ground around your knees
The birds, like tender babies in your hands
And the old men playing checkers by the trees

MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!

[break]

There will be another song for me
For I will sing it
There will be another dream for me
Someone will bring it
I will drink the wine while it is warm
And never let you catch me looking at the sun
And after all the loves of my life
After all the loves of my life
You'll still be the one

I will take my life into my hands and I will use it
I will win the worship in their eyes and I will lose it
I will have the things that I desire
And my passion flow like rivers through the sky
And after all the loves of my life
After all the loves of my life
I'll be thinking of you
And wondering why

[extended break]

MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!
Oh, no
No, no
Oh no!!

Whatever that link is, it doesn't show up on my screen. And, since I don't know what a mindmap is, that explication of a verbal visual essay didn't help me any. Last, the lyrics make no sense I can discern, so I shan't be able to help with the needed essay materials. Still, Google has a superfluity of references which may be of some help:

[tinyurl.com]

[tinyurl.com]

[i-know-everything.com]

[www.leoslyrics.com]

Thanks for the heads up, Hugh. Some things will work on one type of browser and not another. Programming glitch, I guess.

There is a ton of stuff about MacArthur park on the web. Basically, I see it as a metaphor for lost opportunity/youth.

In reality, it's not the prettiest park in the world, or even in Los Angeles, Griffith park gets that distinction, right Pam? But here's a photo anyway:

Les