Instructions for Use - For Students

by Caitlin Cacciatore

Introduction

Dear Fellow Learner,

Congratulations on taking the first steps towards a better understanding of ekphrastic poetry. The earliest written example of this poetic form dates back to Ancient Greece, namely in Homer’s description of the forging of Achilles’ Shield, a passage that is part of the larger epic of The Iliad. 

In modern times, ekphrasis is a specific type of writing, usually poetry, that describes, responds to, challenges, or enters into conversation with a work of art. These artworks can be diverse and although many, if not most, ekphrastics are about paintings, the works in question can be as diverse as the subject of Rilke’s “Archaic Torso of Apollo,” or Keat’s “Ode on a Grecian Urn.”

This Open Educational Resource on ekphrasis is intended to move beyond traditional conventions of the teaching of poetry. It is written and compiled by a poet, for future generations of youth who wish to read, write, or listen to poetry. It is my fondest hope that this OER will aid you in learning to love literature.

I invite you to explore this OER with an open mind. See what draws you in. What calls your name in dulcet tones? What speaks to you? What interests you most - what excites you? Go there first, if you have the time.

Is there something your professor didn’t assign that calls your attention? Bookmark it for later.

Are you an aspiring poet? Make sure to stop by the document “How to Write an Ekphrastic Poem!”

Do you secretly hate poetry? I’m going to try to change your mind - which we agreed would be open to new experiences and new ideas. Chances are, you probably just haven’t come across the right poem yet. I can help.

A suggested path through this OER follows, but feel free to explore at your own pace and if your teacher has assigned a particular part of this resource, make sure to go there as soon as possible so you can stay on top of your studies.

Contents

Begin With: “Defining Ekphrasis.” Here, you will gain a better understanding of what ekphrasis is.

Continue to: “Ekphrasis: An Exploration Of Poetry Inspired By Art.” This gentle, brief primer will introduce you to ekphrasis.

Move on to: “A Brief History of Ekphrasis.” This document explores the form from its roots in antiquity to its relevance in the modern day, making stops along the way in Ancient Greece, the 18th century, the year 1819, and the present era.

Keep going towards: “Understanding Ekphrasis.” Have you ever pondered a poem? This document contains ten questions that will help you do just that.

Continue to: “What’s Missing,” a brief exploitation of sociopolitical factors influencing the literary canon, particularly older works in the public domain.

Your penultimate reading is: "The Parthenon Marbles - A Case Study A Discussion of Ethical Concerns Surrounding Ekphrasis and Ownership of the Artwork That Inspired It,” a deep-dive into the Parthenon Marbles in the British Museum, which Greece has requested to be repatriated on numerous occasions. They would have been known as the Elgin Marbles in Keats’ day, after the man who acquired them.

Finish with “How to Write an Ekphrastic Poem,” a helpful toolkit that might just inspire you to write an ekphrastic of your own.

You will also find, as part of the contents of this Open Educational Resource:

Poems

• “Ode On A Grecian Urn” by John Keats
• “Two Poems On The Elgin Marbles” by John Keats
• “The Man With The Hoe” by Edwin Markham
• “On The Medusa Of Leonardo Da Vinci In The Florentine Gallery” by Percy Bysshe Shelley
• “Elegiac Stanzas Suggested By A Picture Of Peele Castle In A Storm, Painted By Sir George Beaumont” by William Wordsworth
• “Sonnets For Spring By Sandro Botticelli” by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
• “The Shield of Achilles,” a passage from Homer’s Iliad, Book XVIII
• “Hiram Powers' Greek Slave” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

A Variety of Resources

• Biographical data on selected artists and poets.
• High-fidelity images of selected artworks, including framed and unframed versions as well as the occasional sketch or study.
• A variety of existing OER PowerPoints, PDFs, documents, and videos concerning ekphrasis, are compiled for ease of use.
• And so much more!

Remarks

These resources were carefully curated by Caitlin Cacciatore for use in high school and college classrooms. Please feel free to share any or all of it with your friends, classmates, colleagues, and family members. You, too, can give the gift of poetry to your circle and your community.

Please remember that this resource is an invitation, and is by no means a comprehensive encyclopedia of ekphrasis, but rather a curated sampling of poems in the public domain and other works that I found to be important, relevant, or simply riveting. It includes resources to help you understand the lives and literature of each of the writers, authors, and poets whose poems are showcased, as well as the times, trials, and triumphs of the artists whose works accompany each poem. Ultimately, this resource is an entryway into a much vaster realm, and what you see here is only a small selection of what ekphrasis is and what it has yet to become.

And if you remember nothing else from this resource, and take away no other lesson - please remember also that your generation has the power to redefine, reshape, and explore the boundaries not just of ekphrasis - but of every art form and every avenue of innovation. Words can be used as weapons. Propaganda is a powerful tool and words and images, especially when put in conversation with one another, wield incredible power over the human mind, body, soul, spirit, and psyche. Words can inspire people to put up walls. I hope you shall use them instead to build bridges.

“Instructions for Use - For Students” by Caitlin Cacciatore is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.