The Curious Creative: Week 38

Ekphrasis Formula

This is the thirty-eighth installment of The Curious Creative, weekly 10-minute writing exercises for busy individuals interested in exploring their creativity. For the complete rationale, click here. 

My Thoughts:

An ekphrasis is a visual description about a work of art. One of my favorite examples is William Carlos Williams’ poem, “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus,” written about the Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting of the same name. 

Landscape with the Fall of Icarus

by Pieter Bruegel, 1525-1530 

Landscape with the Fall of Icarus 

by William Carlos Williams, 1883 – 1963

According to Brueghel
when Icarus fell
it was spring 

a farmer was ploughing
his field
the whole pageantry 

of the year was
awake tingling
with itself 

sweating in the sun
that melted
the wings' wax 

unsignificantly
off the coast
there was 

a splash quite unnoticed
this was
Icarus drowning

In this ekphrasis, William Carlos Williams employs a very simple technique: he literally describes what is happening in the painting in a journalistic manner (when, what, where). But what makes this poem powerful is his use of two simple words: “unsignificantly” and “unnoticed.” This adverb and adjective, with their emotive connotations, give the reader a feeling of pity for Icarus, who has failed at a lifetime achievement, so easily forgotten and unimportant to the everyman.

Ekphrasis offer a nice way into writing poetry, both through the accessible inspiration of visual art and the simple journalistic formula. In this week’s exercise, you will choose from several famous paintings and employ William Carlos Williams’ template for success!

Your Turn!

1. Choose one of the following paintings:

The Lady of Shallot 

by William Holman Hunt, 1896

 Ballet Dancers in the Wings

by Edgar Degas, 1834-1917

American Gothic

by Grant Wood, 1930

2. Begin your poem, “According to (artist’s name), when…” 
3. Next in your poem, describe the following literally:

a.     the occasion (what is happening in the painting)

b.     the season or time of year

c.      the atmosphere (look at the background for clues)

d.     describe the subject of the painting with 1-2 adverb and/or adjectives

How did you do? Did you notice new details from spending time looking closely at the artwork? Did having a formula allow you to connect with the artwork on an emotional level? Were you able to express some kind of (new) emotion about the artwork through your poem?

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