What is Ekphrastic Poetry?
A brief overview of poetry inspired by art
Simply, it is poetry about art.
The word ekphrasis comes from the Greek, literally meaning ‘description’. The most cited early use of ekphrasis is Homer’s description of the shield of Achilles in the Iliad, but maybe the most famous example is Keats’ Ode on a Grecian Urn.
Thou, silent form, dost tease us out of thought
As doth eternity: Cold Pastoral!
When old age shall this generation waste,
Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe
Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say'st,
"Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."
This poem is a classic piece of ekphrasis, in that it provides a vivid description of the artwork plus a reflection on how it made the poet feel. In his poem, Keats describes the scenes on the vase in detail, as well as commenting on its shape. In the final lines of the poem, quoted above, we hear Keats’ impression of the artwork, that the vase has lived through many centuries, how art and beauty exists well beyond the impermanence of man.
There is vitality in these final lines, a real sense of awe and wonder as a result of immersion into the art. There has been time spent with the piece and its meaning has been transmuted to Keats, and then interpreted by Keats to the reader. There is a spark and a clarity in his expression.
So, ekphrasis isn’t simply noting down the objective qualities of an artwork. That would be boring. Instead, ekphrastic poetry is imbued with the poet’s feelings and emotions. There is a clear sense of time spent with the artwork, a knowledge (real or felt) of the original artist, and a reflection of the artwork in wider society and culture.
Task: Read Ode on a Grecian Urn a few times. Highlight where Keats uses description and where he adds rhetoric. Think about how these play with each other?
Breaking the Fourth Wall
In more modern ekphrastic poetry, the distinction between description and rhetoric is not as clear cut. Take, for example, Mary Oliver’s Franz Marc’s Blue Horses, with the opening lines:
I step into the painting of four blue horses.
I am not even surprised that I can do this.
Oliver breaks the fourth wall between the painting and the viewer, and in doing so she is able to communicate directly with the original artist. If Keats sinks into the artistry, then Oliver fuses with it.
Or take Sasha Pimentel’s The Kiss after Gustav Klimt’s famous painting, where the speaker embodies the woman in the painting, the person being kissed, and struggling to be free of the embrace.
My dress
blossoms loudly. You are still
wrestling me closer. If only I could
release to you my mouth just this
once and you would leave me,
Just like Keats there is description and rhetoric. Pimentel’s choice of verbs and adverbs within the description (“loudly”, “wrestling”) tell the reader how to feel about the activity of the painting.
Task: Read The Kiss through a few times alongside the painting. Look at the descriptions used and how they set the tone of the poem, how they embody the feeling of the subject to create empathy.
The Poet’s Place in Culture
I think a lot about the lineage I’m writing in. By that, I mean I’m inspired by Mary Oliver who was inspired by Edna St Vincent Millay who was inspired by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. When we understand the lineage we write in we feel connected to the greater creative impulse that exists through time.
My feeling towards ekphrasis lives within this same context. No art is created in a vacuum and poetry and visual art have a long, intertwined history. Poetry, after all, is a visual medium, using metaphor to build an image in the reader’s mind. Both poetry and visual art are working to produce a feeling/energy in the viewer/reader. Underlying this work is the point of view of the creator which is the most interesting part of the work.
We need to tap into this point of view when we’re writing ekphrastic poetry. What feelings and emotions has the artist imprinted on you? How have you been moved?
Inspired by Art
For the whole of April I will be running an Ekphrastic poetry workshop for my paid subscribers.
Upgrade your subscription to take part
Each Tuesday I will drop a post full of creative prompts, lessons on poetry and visual art, poetic forms and loads of awesome poetry inspired by art.
1st April: Immersion
In the opening week we’re going to start building your own arty archive. You will be encouraged to go out into the world and find art that gives you a funny feeling. There’s no pressure to create the perfect poem this week, it’s all about getting in tune with visual art and allowing it to whisper its secrets to you.
8th April: Colour & Imagery
So many artists, poets and musicians are obsessed with the colour blue. We’ll look at the history of blue in art and you’ll take a look at your own obsessions. Then, we’ll take a look at the Imagist school and how they incorporate vivid images into their work.
15th April: Words as Art
Tracy Emin famously uses words in her art including the neon signs, tents and textiles. She also makes her students keep a poetry diary during their education at her art school. Eco art frequently uses poetry within the artwork. And Minimalist poets use the shape of letters and words to add layers of meaning. This week we’re going to get our hands dirty and make a visual poem.
22nd April: Beyond Ekphrasis
How can we reflect the wider gallery experience in our poetry? We’ll showcase different points of view by writing our own dip/triptychs. We’ll reflect on who is viewing the artwork and with whom, and how that changes the poem we write.
29th April: Open Mic and Art Show
We’ll gather online together for a showcase of the poems we’ve written and the artwork that inspired them.
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You're such a brilliant/generous teacher of the craft Lorna, I wish I'd had a teacher with your passion at school for all the years I thought I didn't 'get' poetry xx