What is an Ekphrasis Poem?
What is an ekphrasis poem and how to write one.
The word ekphrasis comes from the Ancient Greek and translates to “speak out.” Ekphrasis poetry is inspired by other creative works, such as art, sculpture, architecture, film, television, and even dreams.
Ekphrasis is a literary device in which a work of art, usually visual, inspires someone to create poetry. Examples of writing an ekphrasis poem can be found in classics such as:
The Iliad
The Aeneid
The Metamorphoses
The Odyssey
How to write an ekphrasis poem.
Writing an ekphrasis poem is great practice for writers to hone the craft of imaginary. Any form of poetry can be used because ekphrasis is a literary device, not a form.
Now that we've covered what an ekphrasis poem is, here is how to write one.
Find an inspiring work of art that moves you.
Consider the imagery you want to convey in the poem.
Take notice of any themes or patterns that stick out.
Using your inspiration, imagery, and themes you can thread these together to create a poem.
It's hard to convey everything about the inspiring art in a poem, however after practice it'll get better. Poetry is a form of art.
Interestingly, ann ekphrasis poem cannot be about another piece of writing. Ekphrasis only applies to art outside the written word.
For a more indepth explanation of the ekphrasis poem you can go to Poet.org.
https://poets.org/glossary/ekphrasis