We are in the age of selfies—-capturing ourselves in moments…preserving them til….well at least til we run out of memory space on our phones.
For years, painters and artists have been trying capture themselves in self portraits. Often they conceal as much as they show, using symbolism or other tools to share more of themselves and even add an element of mystery. Creating a self portrait is as much about what you veil as you reveal.
“All self-portraits have the advantage of having an available model
when and where you want him.
Conversation can be held to a minimum”
~Ivan Albright
Self portraits are very different than trying to capture someone else. It requires the writer to look at how they see themselves, which can get a bit dodgy.
“underlying all self-portraiture is the mystery of how an individual sees himself or herself as other.”
~Shearer West
In creating a self portrait, a poet can take several different approaches. If you read Robert Creeley’s ‘Self portrait‘ it reads as a rather detached view of himself. Take a tour through the National Portrait Gallery and you will find that Robert Arneson used a brick with his name impressed in it, to represent himself. This same style of abstraction has been used by poets in their quest for self portraiture.
Lucie Brock-Broido’s “Self Portrait with Her Hair on Fire”
Jorie Graham’s “Self Portrait as Hurry and Delay”
While not a direct self portrait, i find Luis Rodriguez’ “My name is not Rodriguez” very telling as a self portrait and how a poet views themselves.
Of course you also have the rather straight forward self portrait where you look in the mirror and discover who you are, which can be just as rife with symbolism.
Today, your challenge will be to write a self portrait poem. It can be symbolic, metaphorical, descriptive—you get to choose what you show and what you veil. And perhaps today we will be able to meet you anew, just a bit.
If you are new, here is how this works:
- Write a poem based on the prompt and put it on your webpage or blog.
- Click the Mr. Linky button below and enter your name and direct web address (URL) to your poem.
- There you will find the list of others playing along, read them, tell them what you thought of their poem.
- If you use social media to promote your works, include the tag #dversepoets or @dversepoets so we can find and promote you as well.
Have fun. I look forward to seeing what you come up with…see you out on the trail. ~Brian
Pubs open.
Look forward to ‘seeing’ you here in a bit…smiles…
happy afternoon all.
uh i cannot wait to read your selfies… will be cool to meet you in a new way…smiles
ha. should have made it a requirement for everyone to take a random selfie too…lol….
I feel like every poem is a little bit of a self-portrait, but yes, I look forward to reading what everyone chooses to put out there!
oh i would agree that most poems reflect us in some way…
it is interesting though to turn the attention to youself…and not the easiest thing to do ..ha…depending on what you see…smiles
it is true… you get to know a person pretty well by reading their poetry..
yes, and this will be a fun way to get an extra “peek” into each person
Read your mind, brother; included 4 quite different selfies with mine, felt energized by yours & Claudia’s poems; even though we have done similar prompts before, & some of the references to fact & fancy overlap with past poetics; cool idea though.
ha smiles… glad you felt energized… i fell asleep at the computer when i first started writing mine last night… haha
have we done self portraits before? I don’t remember that…but skills, hopefully we do re-use those and build on them as we go along…chance are we have in three years though…ha
I’ve been so unable to read and barely have written in the past month. But I just changed my FB profile pic to a Polyvore self-portrait I did awhile ago but is relevant again. I wrote about that. It’s deep, as always. Thank you for allowing me to participate when unable to reciprocate much, if it all lately. One day that will change.
yay maggie…i was just wondering about you last night….smiles…its good to see you! i hope life frees up for you soon enough….polyvore…i need to look that word up…smiles.
Not exactly a self-portrait, but maybe the portrait of me at a thought swirling moment of change. Love to know what you all think.
def. a felt write yousei… enjoyed..
Thank you. 🙂
Missed one this week, getting used to a new job and things is stressful and fun and exciting. Easter long weekend, and we could be on the road tomorrow – BUT I feel up to this challenge…hmmmm…self portrait….
thank goodness for jobs though eh? hope you settle in well….
look forward to your selfie shanyn…smiles.
So blessed with this job, these jobs actually, and for learning new things. It is all a blessing! Will work on something this evening – gotta meet the bus for the little big man! 🙂
smiles…welcome him home.
I will!
I think I’ll put up my self portrait poem for OLN – only a few days away! 🙂
Hi Brian, thanks for the interesting challenge and for linking up up, smiles ~
Happy Thursday to all ~ Hitting the trail now ~
i got your back grace….smiles
happy thursday
Brian: you cannot realise how your prompt was a gift to me – as in a need to express myself – perhaps in a way of self-pity?
Nevertheless and whatever the reason – your gift was a release, a way to express emotions and I thank you for that.
Kind regards.
Anna :o]
yay…hey whatever it takes to inspire you know….smiles….glad i could gift it to you…and i did not even need to dress up in tights or juggle fire….smiles.
There were several ways to approach this prompt…at least, but I tried to encompass everything and it’s just not possible…better to concentrate on one perspective. I am all over the place these days…nice prompt for today
hahaha i fall into that trap of trying to do too much…be over in a minute…just finished a paper for grad school and submitted it so i have a few to catch up on….
..I admire your commitment to grad school..lots of reading and writing I’m sure..
oh most definitely…ha. but done for the week…and will start on next week tomorrow…
Alright, I am going to slip out for a bit…be back later to catch up with you all…
I am reminded how hard it is to see ourselves clearly and how sharp our vision of others can be – the speck in our neighbors eye
I agree, a challenge to write in an objective way but maybe we are too hard on ourselves ~
perhaps we aspire to perfection, but live in reality…
ah i hear you bill..i know that scripture…smiles…
I haven’t been here for… Hmmm… About two years and a bit… It is rather daunting to be back, so please go easy on me. *blushing* I am looking forward to reading what others have made of this prompt!
Lovely to see you here ~ Not to worry, we’re a friendly bunch, smiles ~
hey cc…welcome back….be over in a bit…
Incredibly challenging prompt, Brian. It really put me into an introspective frame of mind…
cool…out of great challenge comes great treasure…be over in a few minutes…
This feels very hard, Brian! Yours was great, but I’m not sure I feel comfortable being so self-revealing. People may never wish to visit my blog again! Oh dear. k.
hahahaha…isnt that the risk we take when writing anything? smiles.
Well, that is a very good point. I am so sorry I missed Anthony’s beautiful challenge–this poem a day thing makes me grab what I can when I can. I have just finished a very large thing at work, however, more or less, so I hope to be a bit less frantic. I am going to think about this one over night! k.
didnt expect to be gone that long but i had a friend that needed to talk out some big decisions that he is making….back behind the bar and ready to sling some mugs…smiles….
I agree that this was a hard challenge! Looking forward to reading about you all…
nice selfie too…smiles…
It’s been quite a while but I linked up tonight. I like the idea of self-portrait. Could be taken in other directions, as well.
nice.
will have to pop over and see what you laid down then
and welcome back.
I love the challenge, but lately don’t feel like myself. Maybe I need the old me and the new me to meet in my poem. Cool idea off to gather sticks, stones and feathers.
alright, midnite here…the pillow is calling…
sleep well bri…
ha i did. i forgot to set the alarm. and with my fam gone slept like a rock.
Just when I was trying to get out of my own head, I get sucked back in!
Ah well… at least I get to read the selfies of some of my favorite poets. 🙂
ha – happens easily… sometimes for me it’s the other way round… i tend to wander…smiles
This is a fantastic prompt Brian! I’ve reading the different offerings and I’m in awe.. some brilliant self-portraits here… I’m supposed to be studying for a test but instead, simply couldn’t stop reading the wonderful links.. And now I want to write my own self-portrait! 😦 It’s got me thinking how best to write one.. It doesn’t necessarily mean exposing oneself… as you say, we get to choose what and what not to reveal! Interesting challenge! I do hope I get time…
i too hope you get the time… and sometimes those that don’t reveal too much are even more interesting…smiles
what are you studying for?
Studying to be a Chartered Accountant Brian! 🙂 I know, doesn’t really go with having a passion for writing! :-p
nice to be here again…
good to see you sumana
always good to see you sumana…
Hey Brian – Late again I’m afraid. I wrote a poem about Dancing With the Stars – not much of a self-portrait though it throws a little light on my life in figure skating which is a bigger chapter than I ever imagined it would be. I wrote the poem that I think truly captures me in October, 2012. I don’t think I could do it again any better.
dancing with the stars sounds wonderful…and i bet in a way you do….smiles
good morning. ha. missed the alarm this morning…off to play catch up….
I don’t think I’ll have the time to participate now, but this is something I’ve discussed doing with some Twitter friends. But with a twist: selfie as our mothers see us… It requires quite a bit of preparation though (lots of contradictions in how my mother sees me), so I’ll have to leave this for now, but I’m looking forward to reading and seeing your links! Happy Easter, for those who are celebrating it!
ah that would make for an interesting twist…mine would probably be a lot more forgiving of me…smiles.
Mothers of boys…
A bit late. Any chance that we can have a longer Linky on a Friday? Like the weekend included? For thinking, writing, linking and commenting can get rather tight in just 24 hours. Just saying…..
its 33 hours…and its open for reading and commenting after…we limit it on linking though…as after that time, those that link—really seldom visit others usually…we get pingbacks after the linky closes and i read all of them…but i can count on one hand those that have ever returned the favor
Hey Brian, been quiet for a while….seems my DNA has been transforming 😉
(not to mention, we just went under contract for a house we’re buying).
And, perfect timing, as I’m taking an on-line self portraiture course for iPhoneographer’s! So, I’ll allow one of my “selfie’s” be my inspiration and read all the wonderful voices over here at d’Verse!
:bigsmiles
Mary
a on-line self portraiture course for iPhoneographer’s – ha – way cool….
Self-portrait, huh? Well, I thought about this, and thought about this, and then finally decided…yes, this is a self-portrait. It’s a sexual (slightly erotic) self-portrait, but was written between my husband (of 30 years) and myself. Expressing desire as we remembered it in the beginning.
So, Brian…I’m trying to fulfill the requirements for this…and as a painter, self–portrait is the hardest thing to do. In my opinion.
Lady Nyo
ha. yes it can be…caught between getting yourself right…and not wanting to embellish for falling into pride…and getting beyond the who self image thing as well…smiles….
What a thought provoking prompt. I really like the examples you included for us. Thanks!
yeah they are cool…i rather like rodriguez’ piece personally, its my style…smiles.
Thank you, Brian, for one of the all-time most amazing and most difficult prompts!
why thank you lydia…smiles
look froward to seeing yours
and happy friday to you…
I am so late! And I am on the road so may not read yours until Monday. I thank you for inspiring me to think this through.
ah we still have a few hours, so you are fine.
i hope you do make it back…to this and anthony’s both had some really good responses to them.
this sounds really cool! I am a bit late, but hoping I can crank something out before mr. linky goes away 🙂 happy weekend everyone!
happy weekend. you still have a few hours…if not drop in still and i will be sure to read yours…smiles.
Cool, thanks Brian! 🙂
Hey Brian–have a happy Easter. k.
hey. you made it back
happy easter to you as well.
smiles.
Ahh..Synchronicity..i found this link just in time..to link what i already did this morning..in tandem with arguably the most enduring and famous selfie of all..the golden mask of King Tut..and in this case he and i on selfie and dance floor together..kinda like OnE..;)
Sorry I missed this prompt, Brian, I was travelling to stay with my family for the Easter break… Have a good one!
i hope you have a great easter break….where did you go? if you dont mind sharing…
Oh yes, I’m happy to share! My family live in the West Midlands, spread around in Worcestershire and the suburbs of Birmingham, which is a major city in the UK. Happy days…!
Hi.. Just missed posting the poem by a couple of hours.. here’s the link : http://ashivani.wordpress.com/2014/04/19/a-portrait-of-thoughts/
Hope you all would like it. Sorry for an out of place post. Thanks for the prompt!