Ekphrasis: An Exploration of Poetry Inspired by Art

By Caitlin Cacciatore

Introduction

Welcome to “Ekphrasis: An Exploration of Poetry Inspired by Art,” an Open Educational Resource (OER) about ekphrastic poetry.

This OER is housed on CUNY Manifold, a platform that allows for social annotation. Teachers and students can both highlight passages to draw their fellow learners’ attention to, as well as make notes for others in taking their course to see. This encourages students to delve deeper into a text and continue the conversation outside the classroom, enabling all students to benefit from a shared body of co-created knowledge and insights.

What is Ekphrasis?

Ekphrasis is broadly defined as literature inspired by art. For more extensive definitions, please visit “Defining Ekphrasis.” This art most commonly takes the form of paintings and other two-dimensional works, but historically has included three-dimensional objects as well. Arguably one of the most well-known examples of ekphrastic poetry is Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” published in 1819 shortly before Keats’ untimely death in February of 1821.

History of Ekphrasis

The earliest recorded example of ekphrasis is contained in Book XVIII of the Iliad, in which the poem’s speaker describes the forging of the Shield of Achilles in intricate detail. The Iliad itself is not considered a work of ekphrasis, however, the nearly 150-line section describing Achilles’ Shield is indeed an example of ekphrastic poetry.

Ekphrasis has a long history, although it has lain dormant as a form for most of the history of the written word. In the mid-to-late 18th century, demand arose amongst literate consumers for detailed descriptions of the many famous works of art that were making their way across Europe. Few had the means to see the works for themselves, so precise descriptions were in high demand.

Modern Ekphrasis

From there, ekphrasis evolved into its more recognizable modern form – ekphrastic poetry that replies and responds to works of art, “exchanging the tradition of elaborate description for interpretation or interrogation.”

Poet John Hollander wrote of ekphrasis as “addressing the image, making it speak, speaking of it interpretively, meditating upon the moment of viewing it, and so forth."

Instructions for Use

This Open Educational Resource provides a toolbox that explores ekphrasis. In this toolbox, one will find a means of interpreting ekphrasis, a gentle guide on how to write an ekphrastic poem, and a case study about the Parthenon Marbles and the larger issue of the demands placed upon museums for the repatriation of culturally significant art and artifacts from the heritage communities whose ancestors produced them.

This OER is intended for use by instructors of advanced high school-level learners and college students in introductory-level courses. However, it can be adapted to reach outside that range as well. For detailed instructions on the use of this resource, please refer to “Instructions for Use - For Students” and “Instructions for Use - For Instructors.”

The poems included were selected for their prestige, renown, and lasting influence in the English literary canon. For a closer analysis of why these poems were chosen, as well as a discussion of the voices that are neglected, trivialized, and silenced across the literary canon, please refer to the document “What’s Missing?”

“Ekphrasis: An Exploration of Poetry Inspired by Art” by Caitlin Cacciatore is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.