Hi poets and poetry lovers,
This week, let's explore the captivating world of ekphrastic poetry, where poems are inspired by visual art. Ekphrastic poetry allows us to translate the visual into the verbal, creating a bridge between two forms of artistic expression.
Have you ever written a poem inspired by a painting, sculpture, or photograph? How do you approach capturing the essence of a piece of art in your poetry? What challenges and rewards have you experienced in this process?
Share your your favourite pieces of art that have inspired you, and any tips you have for others looking to explore this form. Let's dive into this rich, interdisciplinary practice and see how visual art can spark our poetic creativity.
Feel free to join the conversation and share your thoughts!
Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Rembrandt Van Rijn, Michelangelo Buonaroti, Albrecht Durer, Leonardo da Vinci, Andrew Wyeth, the list is endless of artists and artworks! I think one thing to consider, first, is the piece of art—whether painting, drawing, or sculpture. find something that attracts you, whether it’s a choice of color, shape, perhaps the artist, or any number of other factors. You might wish to understand the origins of the work, how the artist came to it, how long it took, etc. Putting yourself in the artwork, whether painting, drawing, or sulpture is one way of assimilating that world into yours, so that you can begin to notice the details that make the art work, come alive, glisten, resonate with you. I find another thing that really works to put you in the mood, atmosphere, and feel of a piece is to put on your favorite music or something that causes your emotions to rise and assert themselves. Ekphrastic Poetry can be majestic, sublime, assertive and aggressive, or beautiful, ethereal, dreamy and filled with the essence of wonder and awe. Even one piece of art can spawn a series of poems, a chapbook, an entire book of poems related to aspects of it, angles, perspectives, shifting narratives, and suggestive playfulness with them, variation, and simplicity or complexity—however the spirit moves you in the moment and captures your interest and fascination!