Finding your own pair of ekphrastic texts...
1. Choose one painting from the site that interests/fascinates you. Examine the painting carefully and write a reflection articulating your personal response to the painting. It might be advantageous to write this reflection BEFORE reading the poet’s response to the painting. There should be evidence of the use of visual language features.
2. Read the paired poem, and identify how the composer’s choice of language and structural features shapes meaning and influences your response by annotating the poem. This is not simply labelling the features, but including an explanation of the purpose/effect of these techniques.
3. Compose your own poem reflecting your personal response to the painting. Make sure you use a range of sustained poetic devices.
4. Write a brief explanation of the intention of your poem and how it represents aspects of your personal response to the painting.
5. 'An artwork can give rise to poetry with quite different and distinctive interpretations.' How true is this of the poetry written in response to your chosen artwork?
You are to respond to the above question by writing a mini-essay. Your mini-essay should include an introduction and 2 body paragraphs. Your first body paragraph should explain your initial response to the painting and how the use of visual language features shaped this. Your second body paragraph should explore whether the poem confirmed your response to the painting, challenged it, or broadened it and how it used language features and its structure to do this. Your second body paragraph must engage with the question and argue whether it does provide a different and distinctive interpretation of the painting, compared to your own interpretation, and how this is achieved.
Follow this outline so that you can develop the best response.
- “unpack” and define the key words/phrases and features of the question. Note carefully what it is asking you to do (argue, discuss etc)
- Develop a thesis/line of argument to address the question, using your chosen poem.
- Write an introductory paragraph for this essay.
- Write your first body paragraph explaining your initial response to the painting and how the use of visual language features shaped this.
- Write your second body paragraph explaining whether the poem confirmed, challenged, or broadened it and how it used language features and it's structure to do this. Develop your argument around whether the poem provides a different and/or distinctive interpretation of the painting, compared to your own interpretation, and how this is achieved.