Today as the news from Selma and Saigon poisons the air like fallout,

I come again to see

the serene great picture that I love.

–“Monet’s ‘Waterlilies,’”
Robert Hayden

How does the imagery used to describe the picture contrast with the imagery used to describe the news?

The picture is described as old, while the news is described as current.
The picture is described as calming, while the news is described as chaotic.
The picture is described as safe, while the news is described as dangerous.
The picture is described as pure, while the news is described as polluted.