Why I enjoy writing Ekphrastic Poetry

When I started writing poetry as a child, I used it as a medium to express my feelings. The themes I wrote about were just as limited as the exposure I had to the world. I kept a diary for such poems, and I still return to those pages realising the naivety and innocence of my perspective. I drew inspiration from pop songs and poetry that was part of my school curriculum for vocabulary or phrases that are repeated in my early drafts. One thing was for sure, I enjoyed writing and nothing could stop me from pursuing to hone the craft.

In 2019 I studied Experimental Poetry as part of my formal education as a postgraduate student. Each week we studied a different experimental form and that is when I was introduced to Ekphrastic Poetry. According to Poetry Foundation ekphrasis means description in Greek. An ekphrastic poem has vivid description of a scene and more commonly a piece of art. In notes on ekphrastic poems, poets.org has highlighted that ekphrasis can have description of imagined art by poets, such as Homer describing Achilles shield. It can also be literal description of paintings, photographs, films, and so on. If a poet describes an obscure painting or a family photograph, poets.org sees it as a disadvantage for the reader because the painting or photograph may not be easily found and so no comparison can be made. Whilst it might be seen as a necessity to compare the poem to the art, I am not inclined to put such emphasis on that matter. I am keener to use the visual art or scene as a medium to inspire my writing, which leads to a poem that does not necessarily describe the picture itself but might focus on an element of the image.

It can be challenging to approach writing where the description is limited to the art or image on a page. Sometimes, reading the background on the inspiration of the piece of art helps find its meaning. This could again lead to a poem that is not truly describing the visuals rather delving into the artist’s mind. My perspective is expanded or at times challenged and that becomes the driving force of the poem.

I have seen posters with juxtaposed images and words on a page daring me to find connections and fill gaps through poetic verses. These have been particularly enjoyable to work on as I could interpret them how ever I wanted. I did my best not to read the history behind the poster before writing my poem to see how close I could get to the meaning behind the piece. If I was too far from the intended meaning, I would write another piece trying to encompass the significant theme.

Ekphrastic poetry helps me displace the context of a scene that I see. I have used bridges and rivers from an urban setting and reimagined them to be rural. A fashion poster has been used to describe what the model might be thinking. Even a mere paint stroke can be the focus of my poem. These however, are more for my enjoyment of writing and may not be the cup of tea for every reader. It helps me break free from the spell of a writer's block and nudges me to describe anything I see.

Would you like to try writing one of your own? Where could you start?

PINTEREST

I love going to Pinterest to find digital art and classical paintings. It is the best free application that can be used to find artists from around the world with varied perspectives on say the theme of fairytale or myth. Some of my favourite pins are under “ekphrastic art” and I have not been disappointed by the results that come up. If you would like a starting point, why not check out my Ekphrastic art pin board!

ART GALLERY OR MUSEUM

I am lucky to be living close to the Royal Leamington Spa Pump Rooms which hosts an art gallery with collections that change regularly. They are currently running Going Dutch: Seventeenth Century Paintings from the Collection where I have seen a rare Dutch and Flemish collection of paintings on display.

Writing poems on paintings from past centuries is challenging but displacing the context in the poem is fun. I have definitely written poems with a modern flair on subjects that may have been supressed with the ideologies of time bygone. As an Indian woman, I also might have written with a different point of view in terms of gender and/or ethnicity.

TRAVEL AND HOME

I have in my previous article mentioned that I live in the picturesque town of Warwick and some of its history. Living in a town with several touristic attractions and heritage sites gives me the opportunity to write on varied themes all the time. I walk out of my house and there are architectural structures with historical significance, gardens, river and canal that inspire my writing.

When I have visited local hills and mountains, woods and forests, beaches and parks – they have all provided me with a scene that I could describe, whether it was in India or now when I am in England. My foreign travels to France, Greece and Qatar have given me a chance to diversify my writing by understanding the unique culture of the places I visited.

Writing an ekphrastic poem on the real world with things happening in real time is another challenge as everything is moving and changing during the process of writing. This can change the mood of the poem drastically. I tend to rewrite the ideas I jot down when approaching the poem this way. Maybe the piece loses its touch from reality when I rewrite it but there’s a better flow to my thoughts when I do so.

MAGAZINES, POSTERS, NEWSPAPER, BOOK COVERS AND MORE

If you like to stay at home and avoid the screen for some time, picking up a magazine, newspaper or a book might help with writing an ekphrastic poem. I have chosen posters from print advertising, brochures, and pamphlets to motivate me out of a writer’s block. Usually with these writing tasks, I challenge myself with a timer of five or ten minutes. This forces me to write something as raw as it might be. If you don’t buy newspapers or magazines anymore, why not try junk mail. Admittedly it can be tiresome finding something interesting to write about when the booklet is full of text, or the advertisement is trying to sell you a package to plan your funeral (yes these are commonly posted where I live).

No matter where you choose to gain your writing inspiration from, if you do end up writing an ekphrastic piece, feel free to comment it below. Here’s one I wrote when I was at university.