I’m spending some time at the moment responding to my own visual imagery/artworks through the medium of poems. I’m interested to see how this could develop.
Ekphrasis: “Description” in Greek. An ekphrastic poem is a vivid description of a scene or, more commonly, a work of art. Through the imaginative act of narrating and reflecting on the “action” of a painting or sculpture, the poet may amplify and expand its meaning (from Poetry Foundation).
According to Wiki, Ekphrastic poetry may have existed as early as the days of Homer, whose Iliad (Book 18) describes the Shield of Achilles, with how Hephaestus made it as well as its completed shape.
Although it initially came from the idea of description, the most successful ekphrastic poems go beyond mere description, responding to the work of art, conveying a deeper meaning.
The paintings of Edward Hopper have inspired many ekphrastic poems. Let’s see how I get on with inspiring myself!
