Ekphrastic Poetry
Ekphrasis is a Greek word meaning “description.” The Poetry Foundation describes ekphrastic poetry this way: “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.” While the earlier emphasis was on vivid, detailed description, the term has come to apply mainly to “poems written about works of art” or “poems responding to art.”
Rattle Magazine hosts a monthly ekphrastic poem challenge (“Art Inspiring Poetry”) at its website, and I’ve been pondering playing…but haven’t yet. Then this image flitted by on Twitter the other day (posted by @VeganYogaDude), and I was seized, naturally, by the ekphrastic prompting.
“Rain,” by Eduard Gordeev
Here’s my untitled take on it:
The brilliant city street,
behind glass streaked with rain,
brilliant hues contrast
against the darksome sky—
a lurid beauty—
like the tear-washed face
of Tammy Faye,
arresting, an ever-surprise,
alight somehow from within.
PROMPT:
So how about it? Wanna play? In an ekphrastic challenge, the general idea is for everyone to write about the same image or piece of art, but feel free to use any sort of art that draws you. You can use the one I wrote about, Rattle’s images, or bring one of your own, if you prefer. (If you use a different image, go ahead and post it along with your poem, with proper credits, of course.)
My own approach is generally to start by looking at the image two ways–a first-blush impression, and then taking a deeper, longer look for details and slower impressions (sort of a visio divina practice). Next, I’ll often start off my poem drafting with a poetic description, and then segue or blend into response or connection. Beyond that, there are no real regulations or limitations—tone, length, purpose, approach…all are entirely up to you.
How about it? You up for a little ekphrasis, darlin’?
Pushing the Bruise 
It wouldn’t surprise me if I changed this throughout the day…but this is my morning’s attempt. I am thoroughly enjoying this series, and I appreciate your challenges. Please keep doing them!
________________________
Bypass
Water on the window
Smudges lines
No one sees.
Still life happens.
I shudder
Pray
Rain inside.
Please wake up.
Please.
This is lovely! The title is telling, but only after one has finished reading the poem. The fourth line has a delightful double-meaning. The parallelism of the rain on the window and the rain inside the speaker resonates. The call to action (the request that someone wake up) can also mean multiple things.
Knowing the situation in which you wrote this, I can say I am so grateful that she did indeed wake up!
Thank you SO much for playing! I’m finding a lot of folks are better at this than they thought. 🙂
Your comment delights me more than I can say. Looking forward to your next challenge!
Beautiful poem which has my head mixed up in good ways. Love the first stanza’s ref. to beauty and the contrasting incongruous ref. to Tammy Faye. I agree with Crystal: keep up this series please.
Thank you! I love the incongruities that poetry can invite and even celebrate, those odd connections, almost free-associative, that somehow still work. Thank you for your kind words about the series! That’s encouraging.
This is great stuff. Every time I look at the image I see some thing different. Wonderfully descriptive poem. I would read this all the time. Thanks for sharing.
It really is an amazing image, isn’t it? The photographer has an interesting technique. Thank you for your kind words!
I will keep my poetic licence hidden away 😉- but did enjoy your words.
Hahaha! “License and registration, ma’am!” It’s okay, Linze. One day, perhaps, I’ll find a poetic form that entices you to play. 🙂 Thank you for reading and commenting.
I agree – keep up this series. It’s loads of fun, even if some of my efforts should be written in chalk on the bottom of my motorcycle boots. I’ll have something to offer up soon.
Thank you for the encouragement! Happily, we all have SFDs and efforts that should be written as ephemerally as possible. I look forward to your sandbox offering.
Poetry is not my thing, but to my experienced eye this is a picture of happy rain so I’ll play. A sandbox offering, I love that.
Cheerful hues,
A lightening sky
This rain is transitory.
Not so with
Portland’s charcoal grays
Our rain’s another story.
OMG, this is way fun! A form poem, even–the syllables, the rhymes! Though it is short, the imagery and contrasts are clear. Lovely outing, m’dear! (For the record, I’d be thrilled even with Portland’s non-transitory, gray rain for a while. LOL.) Thank you for playing in the sandbox!
It’s curious.
When I wish to be serious
The words won’t come.
Just laughter.
Rhyming words after.
Comically dumb.
Comically brilliant, you mean, Laura! This is fabulous! I can think of worse things than being stuck with laughter.
Yikes. Here’s my quick take:
Drawn to color,
so deceptive.
Like the empty planters,
I know
the rain won’t help me grow.
OMG, lovely! The empty planters and the inefficacious rain. The rhyme. The rainy melancholy. Love it! So glad you played!