Ekphrastic Poetry
Ekphrastic poetry is poetry inspired by art or in response to art, this is usually defined by visual art, paintings, photographs, other forms like that but I imagine that it could be any type of art, whatever the poet enjoys.
Example of an ekphrastic poem...
"Van Gogh's Bed"
Jane Flanders (1985)
is orange,
like Cinderella's coach, like
the sun when he looked it
straight in the eye.
is narrow, he sleeps alone, tossing
between two pillows, while it carried him
bumpily to the ball.
is clumsy,
but friendly. A peasant
built the frame; and old wife beat
the mattress till it rose like meringue.
is empty,
morning light pours in
like wine, melody, fragrance,
the memory of happiness.
Jane Flanders (1985)
is orange,
like Cinderella's coach, like
the sun when he looked it
straight in the eye.
is narrow, he sleeps alone, tossing
between two pillows, while it carried him
bumpily to the ball.
is clumsy,
but friendly. A peasant
built the frame; and old wife beat
the mattress till it rose like meringue.
is empty,
morning light pours in
like wine, melody, fragrance,
the memory of happiness.
Scott Sigl's Ekphrastic Poetry
Girl with Head on Fire
ekphrastic poem inspired by Joe Mills' "The Living Hell"
..."And you left with your head filled with flames
and you watched as your brains
fell out through your teeth
push the pieces in place
make your smile sweet to see
don't you take this away..."
To feel, to live, to be alive
to be touched so deeply by another,
emotion trucks you like the SUV you didn't check your blind spot for
you didn't even see it coming
it's all worth it
just to feel it once
just to give it back to someone else
It's a waterfall
the weight of the ocean
a truck
a Mack Truck
and it's all over
Have you ever felt that?
Share it if you have
or at least try.
and you watched as your brains
fell out through your teeth
push the pieces in place
make your smile sweet to see
don't you take this away..."
To feel, to live, to be alive
to be touched so deeply by another,
emotion trucks you like the SUV you didn't check your blind spot for
you didn't even see it coming
it's all worth it
just to feel it once
just to give it back to someone else
It's a waterfall
the weight of the ocean
a truck
a Mack Truck
and it's all over
Have you ever felt that?
Share it if you have
or at least try.
The Poet Fish
ekphrastic poem inspired by Paul Cava's "Nemaleon 2"
Someone has spilled coffee on this painting,
or maybe that's just the squid's ink
it's defense,
it's only form of defense
for an animal that is 97 percent water.
The squid is the POET FISH!
the only other animal besides humans WITH INK!
I understand you squid.
I'm mostly made out of water myself.
I'm not that strong,
not real big,
never won a fight before.
Ink is my only form of self defense too
and it can be deadly if you know how use it.
Your ink causes damage
my ink heals
but only after the pain has been inflicted.
We are one in the same my squidly brother
most people don't know that about us.
or maybe that's just the squid's ink
it's defense,
it's only form of defense
for an animal that is 97 percent water.
The squid is the POET FISH!
the only other animal besides humans WITH INK!
I understand you squid.
I'm mostly made out of water myself.
I'm not that strong,
not real big,
never won a fight before.
Ink is my only form of self defense too
and it can be deadly if you know how use it.
Your ink causes damage
my ink heals
but only after the pain has been inflicted.
We are one in the same my squidly brother
most people don't know that about us.
On Ekphrastic Poetry
The first piece, "Girl with Head on Fire" was inspired by a painting from Rowan University's "Dialogic" themed art exhibition (sorry the image for "Girl with Head on Fire" is no longer available online) of exactly what the title describes. The girl appears to be in a World War II era photograph standing in a forest with her head completely enflamed. The image is quite surreal and extreme. Her face cannot even be seen amidst the flames. This inspired me to imagine what it is that makes the artist feel as though his head is engulfed in flames. I imagined that he might be referring to the feeling of depression or the physical pain of a migraine or cluster headache. I finally thought that the image could be referring to a positive emotion, just one experienced so strongly that it is almost violent. I then realized that the feeling of being overwhelmed by beauty could make a person feel as though their head were enflamed. I picture experiencing any emotion as strongly as this would leave a person bawling in tears uncontrollably. "Girl with Head on Fire" is my attempt at defining that feeling and experience.
"The Poet Fish" is inspired by a painting of a squid with streaks and colors overlapping the image. It does appear as though some liquid had been spilled on the painting, though I imagine it was purposeful by the artist. I thought about what I knew about squids and immediately realized the connection between this animal and poetry. I simply wrote comparing what I know about myself to what I know about the squid and I believe it turned out quite successful.
"The Poet Fish" is inspired by a painting of a squid with streaks and colors overlapping the image. It does appear as though some liquid had been spilled on the painting, though I imagine it was purposeful by the artist. I thought about what I knew about squids and immediately realized the connection between this animal and poetry. I simply wrote comparing what I know about myself to what I know about the squid and I believe it turned out quite successful.