Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
8/17/2019 English Language Arts original content
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/english-language-arts-original-content 1/7
Ekphrastic Poetry
Introduction to Ekphrastic Poetry (page 1)
Ekphrastic poetry is a type of descriptive poetry that is written after the poet has
viewed a piece of visual art such as a painting, drawing, or photograph. An ekphrasticpoem describes the poet's feelings about and reactions to the art work.
The term ekphrastic comes from the Greek word ekphrasis [from the
verb ekphrazein; ex - (out) + phrazein (to explain or point out)], which translates as
"description." You might think of an ekphrastic poem as a verbal reaction to a visual
experience. The goal of an ekphrastic poet is to make the reader "see" the art work in
his or her mind's eye as if it were actually present.
Angelo Monticelli illustration of the Shield of Achilles Shield of Achilles illustration, c. 1832
The first known example of ekphrastic poetry, Homer's detailed description of the shield
built for Achilles in Book 18 of the Iliad, dates back to ancient Greece. Another example
of early ekphrastic poetry is the description of Juno's temple in the Aeneid by the
Roman poet Virgil. The story's hero, Aeneas, is moved to tears by the Trojan War
scenes on the temple walls, including the depiction of the death of Hector at Achilles'
hand. Other Greek and Roman poets also wrote ekphrastic poetry. Their poems include
descriptions of urns, baskets, cups, and other household items; beautiful clothing;
implements of war; and especially ornate buildings.
8/17/2019 English Language Arts original content
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/english-language-arts-original-content 2/7
Explore the Web to learn more about ekphrastic poetry.
Ekphrasis: Poetry Confronting Art
Ekphrastic Poetry
Description Becomes Reflection (page 2)
Since ancient Greek and Roman times, ekphrastic poetry has
expanded beyond a pure description of a work of art to include
a poet's personal observations and feelings about the work. An
early example of this development is John Keats' "Ode on aGrecian Urn" (1819). In the poem, Keats describes an urn he
saw in a book. Rather than merely describing what he saw, he
"questioned" the urn about the characters engraved on it:
Original vs. Modern Ekphrastic Poems
While ekphrasis originally was purely descriptive, modern ekphrastic poets tend to use
this more personal perspective style, which can result in very different ekphrastic poems
about the same work of art. An example of this can be found in two poems based on the
painting Landscape With the Fall of Icarus by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. In it, you can see
the mythical character Icarus, who flew too close to the sun with his wings of feathers
and wax. The wings melted, and Icarus fell to his death. Interestingly, Icarus is not the
focal point of the painting, although that was what inspired two poets, W. H. Auden and
William Carlos Williams, to write about this painting.
What leaf-fring'd legend haunts about thy shape
Of deities or mortals, or of both,
In Tempe or the dales of Arcady?
What men or gods are these? What maidens loth?
What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape?
What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy?
8/17/2019 English Language Arts original content
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/english-language-arts-original-content 3/7
Landscape With the Fall of Icarus (c. 1558) by Pieter Bruegel the Elder.
Notice Icarus's legs protruding from the water just in front of the boat.
To read the poems about the painting, click the links below.
"Musée des Beaux Arts" by W. H. Auden
"Landscape With the Fall of Icarus" by William Carlos Williams
Descriptive Doesn't Always Mean Complimentary (page 3)
Often, ekphrastic poetry serves as a tribute to the work of art
or the artist. Something about the work of art—
perhaps itsbeauty, or its ability to evoke a pleasant memory—inspired
the poet to offer positive feedback through poetry. But that is
not always the case. To illustrate, we are going to look at an
example of the ekphrastic poetry of Joseph Rodman Drake.
But first let's learn something about the poet.
Joseph Rodman Drake was born in New York City in 1795.
He was raised in New York by his mother's relatives. He was
an enthusiastic reader and began studying medicine when hewas 18. He received a medical degree from Queen's College
(now Rutgers University) in 1816. After getting married the same year, he worked as a
physician.
Drake showed an early interest in writing poetry. He especially enjoyed
writing satirical poetry. In 1819, Drake and one of his college friends, the poet Fitz-
Joseph Rodman Drake
8/17/2019 English Language Arts original content
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/english-language-arts-original-content 4/7
Greene Halleck, wrote a series of satirical poems called "The Croaker Papers" for
the New York Evening Post. "The Croaker Papers" poked fun at New York City officials.
They were quite popular both locally and nationally.
Drake died in 1820, at the age of 25, from the effects of tuberculosis that he had battled
for four years. Many of Drake's poems were published posthumously, including his
ekphrastic poem "The National Paintings" in 1828.
"The National Paintings" by Joseph Rodman Drake (page 4)
In 1817, Congress commissioned the artist John Trumbull to create four paintings to be
hung in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. These paintings are
Surrender of General Burgoyne, Surrender of Lord Cornwallis, General George
Washington Resigning His Commission, and Declaration of Independence. Joseph
Rodman Drake most likely composed "The National Paintings" soon after Trumbullfinished painting Declaration of Independence. The poem focuses on this painting.
John Trumbull's Declaration of Independence, depicting the presentation of the first draft of the Declaration of
Independence to the Second Continental Congress.
"The National Paintings" is a lyric poem. A lyric poem is one that expresses the
thoughts and feelings of the poet. Examples include sonnets and odes. This poem is
one of Drake's most satirical. Remember, satire is a literary technique in which a writer
8/17/2019 English Language Arts original content
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/english-language-arts-original-content 5/7
uses ridicule or mockery to call attention to a person's or group's failings. The purpose
of satire is to cause the person or group to improve the shortcomings. When you read
"The National Paintings," you will find that it is quite humorous. As you analyze "The
National Paintings" and Declaration of Independence, be sure to look for examples of
satire.
"The National Paintings"
By Joseph Rodman Drake
Awake, ye forms of verse divine!Painting! descend on canvas wing,—
And hover o'er my head, Design!Your son, your glorious son, I sing;
At Trumbull's name I break my sloth,
To load him with poetic riches:The Titian of a table-cloth!
The Guido of a pair of breeches!
Come, star-eyed maid, Equality!In thine adorer's praise I revel;
Who brings, so fierce his love to thee, All forms and faces to a level:
Old, young, great, small, the grave, the gay,Each man might swear the next his brother,
And there they stand in dread array,To fire their votes at one another.
How bright their buttons shine! how straightTheir coat-flaps fall in plaited grace!How smooth the hair on every pate!
How vacant each immortal face! And then the tints, the shade, the flush,(I wrong them with a strain too humble),Not mighty Sherred's strength of brush
Can match thy glowing hues, my Trumbull!
Go on, great painter! dare be dull— No longer after Nature dangle;
Call rectilinear beautiful;Find grace and freedom in an angle;
Pour on the red, the green, the yellow,"Paint till a horse may mire upon it,"
And, while I've strength to write or bellow,I'll sound your praises in a sonnet.
8/17/2019 English Language Arts original content
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/english-language-arts-original-content 6/7
Analyzing "The National Paintings" and Declaration of Independence (page 5)
Now we will analyze the relationship between the painting, Declaration of
Independence, and the poem, "The National Paintings." To do this, we will complete a
questionnaire about the painting followed by a questionnaire about the poem. Check
your responses against the sample answers provided to see how your analysis
compares. Several of the questions do not have "right" or "wrong" answers, so don't
worry if your answers differ from the answers given.
John Trumbull's Declaration of Independence
1. What are the first words that come to mind when you look at the painting?
2. Who or what is the subject of the painting?
3. How would you describe the representation of the subjects in the painting?
4. How does the painting make you feel?
5. What is the main idea of this work of art?
6. What does the painting make you think of?
7. What, if anything, appears in the painting but is not described in the poem?
8/17/2019 English Language Arts original content
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/english-language-arts-original-content 7/7
Analyzing "The National Paintings" and Declaration of Independence (page 6)
Now let's analyze Drake's poem, "The National Paintings," inspired by Trumbull's
painting, Declaration of Independence. To do this, we will complete a questionnaire
about the poem. Check your responses against the sample answers provided to see
how your analysis compares.
1. From whose point of view is the poem written?
2. How does the poet relate the subject of the painting to the subject of the poem?
3. What aspect of the painting do you think inspired Drake to write the poem?
4. What feelings does the poet express?
5. Do the painting and the poem communicate the same point?
6. Does the mood of the poem match the tone of the painting?
7. Is there anything in the poem that is not found in the painting? If so, what?
