Hi everyone!  I hope you are enjoying your summer or whatever season you have in your part of the world. I am excited to host an ekphrastic prompt using 3 artwork below with the help of Melissa Lemay. We had poetry written to ekphrastic prompts in the past, as in this Poetics March Ekphrastic challenge hosted by Merril Smith in 2022.

For those who are new, here is the definition and examples of ekphrastic poetry.

Definition

Ekphrastic poetry most often refers to a poem written about a visual work of art, such as a painting or a sculpture. The definition “ekphrastic” is : “Employing, characterized by, or relating to a literary device in which a painting, sculpture, or other work of visual art is described in detail.” An ekphrastic poem can thus be thought of as a literary work that is plump with poetic imagery about visual imagery created by another artist.

Examples

1.The first poem is from Edward Hirsch based on Edward Hoopers’s House by the RailRoad (1925).

2. The second poem is from Anne Sexton based on Vincent Van Gogh, The Starry Night

Note on the poem: A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST(S) — Though it’s not necessary, many ekphrastic poems will pull in the figure of the artist behind the work of art, so that the writing becomes almost biographical. In describing or hypothesizing about the mood and intent of the artist, the painting, sculpture, etc., being conjured up attains character, context, and depth. At the same time, the poet may also bring their own figure into the poem (see Sexton’s poem above) to create a bifocal lens with a meta-view of literature being written about art.

Source:  Ekphrastic Poetry:  When Art Meets Literature

For today’s poetry challenge, choose from among 3 images below and write a ekphrastic poem. What details (colors, shapes, characters) from the art work strike you and evoke an emotional and/or intellectual response from you? Your poem should indicate which art work you are using in your blog. The poetry form is open and is the poet’s choice.

Eugene Delacroix
Women of Algiers in their Apartment 1834, Oil on Canvas

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María Berrío, Closed Geometry, 2022, paper collage and watercolor on linen

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Self-portrait with The Family P.Konchalovsky (1917)

If you are new, here’s how to join us:

*Write an ekphrastic poem based on the writing challenge as described above. Post it on your blog or website.
*Enter your name and direct link to your poem in Mr. Linky.
*Remember to check the box re: privacy policy.
*Follow the links to other poets. Read and comment on other poems. We all appreciate feedback on our poems.
*Link back to dVerse so others can find us too.
*Have fun!