Gedicht op de verjaardag van Anna de Hooghe Possibly 1715 - 1716

This birthday poem, penned by Sara Groenwolt for Anna de Hooghe in 1715, is a testament to the enduring power of language and the written word as symbols of celebration and remembrance. The poem, a carefully constructed arrangement of letters, speaks to the human desire to mark time and honor significant life events. Consider how the act of writing itself—the formation of letters into words, words into verses—mirrors the human impulse to create order and meaning. The very script evokes earlier traditions where calligraphy was not only a means of communication but also an art form, imbued with spiritual and aesthetic significance. We see echoes of this in medieval illuminated manuscripts, where the written word was adorned with intricate designs, transforming it into a sacred object. This poem engages us on a subconscious level, tapping into our collective memory of birthdays, anniversaries, and the human need to commemorate life's milestones. It reminds us that such celebrations are not merely personal but are deeply embedded in the human experience. This practice has resurfaced and evolved, adapting to new cultural contexts while maintaining its core emotional resonance.