Assistants: Samuel, Brendan
Ekphrastic poetry is a fascinating genre of poetry that focuses on the relationship between art and literature. For each piece of artwork below, there is an attached interview that asks the writers about their poem and the artwork that they chose. In this collection of dialogues, the authors talk about their inspiration for choosing the artwork, how they portrayed the mood of the piece, and how writing an ekphrastic poem influenced their perspective on the art. This editorial approach to ekphrastic poetry really helps the reader see what went on inside each author’s head as they wrote about and analyzed the artwork that they chose. Enjoy!
Man Made - Rebekah Lindsey
When a man moves a rock it becomes a work of art.
When a photographer catches a cloud in his frame it becomes a print.
When an artist twists sand into a pattern it becomes a landmark.
There are museums filled with varying forms of creations
in which more men walk by with wide eyes and proceed to fixate on each “masterpiece.”
An observer revels at the simple beauty of a photo of the great Cirrus fibratus
while completely missing the magnificent cumulonimbus visible above his head.
We dedicate a few bits of this palatial perfection that is life as significant,
yet there is a whole galaxy of fine art surrounding us.
Tourists visit the Spiral Jetty and shift their eyes past the mosaic of bubbles.
The lazily, hypnotic(ally) swirling water, the flitting fish, the completely natural coral colouration; all seem mundane.
They hover over Robert Smithson’s “masterpiece” and keep their distance
to avoid altering the altered sand.
What was your reason for choosing your piece of artwork?
I chose Robert Smithson’s “Spiral Jetty” as my piece of artwork because I thought it was beautiful but unlike any art I’d seen recently because it was a piece of earthwork. This intrigued me as I hadn’t heard of earthwork before. I think it’s an interesting concept because I think most of the Earth is beautiful and can be perceived as natural art, and I think it’s somewhat pretentious that humanity stakes a claim in being able to determine which parts of our planet are worthy of labelling as art, or to think that something is not art until it has been revised by a person.
What was the central theme of the artwork and how did you portray this in your poem?
The central theme of this artwork was a coil of sand that stretches into the pink water in Utah’s Great Salt Lake. I portrayed this in my poem by mentioning it at the end of the poem, but my poem was more about wasn’t the theme of the artwork, which was the pink and blue water in the lake. My poem was portraying that some natural wonders are more artistic than more artificial pieces of art.
How did your artwork influence your poetry?
The artwork influenced my poetry because it was the inspiration for the message of my poem.
How has writing this poem influenced your perspective on the art?
Writing this poem has influenced my perspective on art because in choosing “Spiral Jetty” as my focus I was introduced into a whole new genre of art. Also, it made me think more about what is art and how we determine what art is in our society.
How are poetry and art similar?
Poetry and art are similar because they are both creations that attempt to capture exquisite bits of our lives and to attempt to save fleeting moments. They both focus on certain parts of life and emphasize the importance of their message or the moral through beautiful, shocking, or interesting ways that causes readers or viewers to actually pay attention to the poem or the piece of art.
A Coil of Rope - Keenan Warble
I lay scrunched up in a tight ball, unable to move, unable to see,
unable to be.
My internal fibers twined into muscular cord,
I am sturdy. I am trapped.
I know nothing of the world except for the cardboard walls which brace me.
I try to think outside the box,
but what would I think?
I know nothing.
Endless rest. Endless constraint.
I see light. There is air. What are these vibrant colors?
Uneasiness flows through me as my backbone erects.
Ocean air and sea breeze whisk away thoughts of my life in the cage.
A young sailor hoists me aloft.
He stretches me tight along the mast;
The world at my fingertips,
yet still so alone.
Keenan: Well, I looked for something I enjoyed, and I really like to sail in the summer, and when I saw this picture it really stood out to me as something I could talk about. The coil of rope seemed like something simple which I could expand on and really bring into the poem.
Brendan: So was that kind of the central theme of the artwork? Do you think? That kind of simplicity?
Keenan: Well the artwork seemed to focus on the rope. The rope was the foreground of the artwork. The background was the boat and the ocean and the sailor working on the sailboat.
Brendan: And how did you capture the mood of the artwork in you poem?
Keenan: Well I tried to imagine the world from the perspective of the rope and I imagined its journey from a cardboard box to traveling the oceans of the world on a sailboat.
Brendan: You can really see that in the poem, yeah. So how has writing the poem changed your view on the art?
Keenan: Instead of a simple rope, it kind of became something alive. When you look at the poetry, you can feel the ocean breeze. You can smell the salty air. It brings the scene to life. My poem expanded on that. I tried to use the same ideas in my poem that were used in the artwork.
Brendan: And then, as general forms of art, how do you think poetry and photography are similar?
Keenan: Well, like I said, both can evoke emotions and ideas. Both can make you feel the senses of the ocean breeze and both can also be very symbolic.
Brendan: Great. Thank you very much Keenan.
Observation from the Sidelines - Katie Huffert
Standing in fourth position
with my hands clasped
and resting on my tutu,
I watch the first group perform.
My toes wiggle in the confinement
of the faded pink,
speckled grey,
pointe shoes.
Girls behind me whisper,
giggle,
and stretch.
I watch the center, waiting for my turn.
The room
which began somewhat warm
has become stifling and uncomfortable.
Sunlight trickles through the leaves of
newly blossomed trees and spots the floor.
The music floats about the studio,
soaring from the rosined bow
of the violinist
past the strings,
and to our ears.
The violinist in question, resides in a hard-backed chair
wearing a stiff black tuxedo.
Elegant as the melody is,
the songs are routinely used;
the pieces too familiar to the members of the room.
Would it pain the poor gentleman to vary his music choices?
The first group of ballerinas
flutters about the center of the room.
The dancers who reside
front and center
are the finest in the company.
Their legs fly high above others’,
with pointed toes.
Perfectly poised,
even in the simplest actions,
they perform their steps.
Inside, I know they
gasp
for air from the effort;
Outside, they smile,
heads high,
legs unquavering,
arms strong
but delicately curved.
I watch them dance,
and wait for my chance
to try
and dance
as they do.
What was your reason for choosing your piece of artwork?
I chose my piece of artwork because I dance, so I can relate to this piece of artwork because it’s the Gauss ballet rehearsal, and also because I thought it was a very elegant piece and it was very pretty.
What was the central theme of the artwork and how did you portray this in your poem?
The central theme of the artwork was a ballet rehearsal and I tried to portray is in the poem by making my poem from the perspective of the girl in dance rehearsal.
How did your artwork influence your poetry?
The artwork influenced my poetry because the mood of the artwork is very happy and it has, like, happy colors like pinks and yellows. Also, I noticed small details, like the window being closed so I made the room seem stuffy in the perspective of the persona in the poem, or the fact that it seemed that the girls dancing in the center seem to be better than the others. So the artwork-- the small details in the artwork-- influenced the things I chose to focus on, in my poem.
How has writing this poem influenced your perspective on the art?
Writing this poem has influenced my perspective on the art because I’ve made myself notice more of the smaller details in the artwork, and I feel like I can understand the artwork more and relate to the person I chose to write about in the poem
How are poetry and art similar?
Poetry and art are similar, I think, because they both are creative interpretations of something else.
A Great Wave off Kanagawa - Brooks Daley
Katsushika Hokusai’s Great Wave is a classic.
No, I mean it is classically Chinese.
The waves is a disaster.
The cold whites and blues of the waves
are going to destroy our boats with which they topple.
But the wave is prosperity.
It is beauty, it is nature.
This power of the water,
the grace of the winds,
This is life just as it is death.
We now experience
the true yin and yang,
the balance of existence.
I will die, but now,
I have never been more alive.
Brooks: I think I really chose this one because it show a really unique contrast, not necessarily in colors but in the meaning of the poem. You see these people on the boat. They’re going through these waves, and they’re going to die. But also, it’s such a feeling of adrenaline being on that boat, so as you’re dying, you’re also living, maybe for the first time. You’re experiencing life more than you never have.
Brendan: So, is that kind of the central theme of the artwork?
Brooks: I think so. I describe this poem as a classic, and I wanted to kind of connect it to the ideal of living and dying, how everything has its opposite. So as in this poem, as you’re living, you’re also dying, and as you’re dying, you’re also living.
Brendan: So, how did you portray that theme in your poem, do you think?
Brooks: When you see this poem, the first thing you think about is I first talk about, “Oh my god, these people. They’re all going to die.” So, that’s the first thing I talked about, but then, as the pen went on, I kind of brought it back. My last line was “I’ve never been more alive”. I feel like that’s how I wanted my poem to kind of round out. I wanted to bring it in a full circle to show how you originally think about dying, but at the same time you’re living.
Brendan: Has the process of writing the poem at all changed the way you see the artwork?
Brooks: Originally, yeah, I saw this and I almost wanted to write a tragic piece about how life has finally come to an end and make it a tragedy. But then as I continued writing, I then thought about it, and these people, they’re dying, but there’s also such a sensation in the dying that I feel like you can talk about them being alive as well.
Brendan: It’s incredible, yeah. And then, how do you think poetry and art are similar or different?
Brooks: They’re both forms of expression. The classic cliche is “a picture says a thousand words,” and I that can be applied with this I think. This picture, for me, was so provocative that I didn’t know what to think. I did at first, but then as I kept going on, I confused myself more and more. I was getting into deep conversations with myself like “what is life?”.
Brendan: Well thank you very much for being willing to do an interview.
The Peacock Throne - Samuel Pfrommer
The waking sun is a marvel to behold,
It raises its fiery mask to warm a sleepy world,
It cannot speak,
But only shine.
Every day it makes its course
Through clouds, rain and snow,
To bring us light
Until darkness reigns.
Yet we reject it,
Like prodigal sons.
Not afraid to look,
But afraid to see.
What was your reason for choosing your piece of artwork?
I thought it was a very interesting abstract painting of the sun that captured both its beauty and its simplicity at the same time. Something I found especially intriguing was the mysterious sense that this abstraction created; it seems as if the sun is setting in a dip between two mountains over an expanse of water, but it's not certain what the forms represent.
What was the central theme of the artwork and how did you portray this in your poem?
Though the painting doesn't really have a strict "theme," it does do a fantastic job of displaying the elegance and energy of the sun. I reflected on this by writing about the important service that the sun gifts to humanity.
How did your artwork influence your poetry?
The raw beauty in this artwork was (I hope) encapsulated in the simplicity of the language I used. To our eyes, the sun doesn't seem complex; however, we can all agree that it plays an integral role in our lives.
How has writing this poem influenced your perspective on the art?
Another big part of my poem was why we don't look at the sun or give it the recognition it deserves. Figuratively speaking, I think this is largely because it contrasts our short lives with its relative immortality; we realize that it has existed for millennia and will continue to do so long after we die. To me, this gives the painting a more "infinite" quality and makes it stretch forwards and backwards in time.
How are poetry and art similar?
Poetry and art are similar because they both reflect the human desire for creative expression. Poetry is really just a form of art with a different medium.
Starry Night - Finlay Collins
Silhouettes of trees
Outline the midnight sky.
A steeple stares over the valley,
Encircled by towering mountains.
The stars illuminate the grassy plains below,
Wind whistles across the landscape.
The village sleeps in utter silence,
As nightfall prevails.
Moon light reflects off the rolling hills,
Cascading down towards the edge of civilization..
The stars,
Like lilypads floating out in space.
There is nothing here,
Except a secluded town,
Its inhabitants,
And the midnight sky.
Finlay: The theme of the artwork I think would be the night and what goes on at night, and I think that this is what Van Gogh was trying to capture in this painting. I tried to portray this in my poem by saying that it's still at night except for nature and the wind going through the trees and stuff like that. I think that Van Gogh's artistic ability influenced the way that I tried to present my poem because I thought that his painting was kind of unconditional and really creative in how he used a bunch of different colors and aspects from this little village that he was painting. So I tried to capture certain aspects of the village that he painted and the value that surrounded it into my poem. From writing the poem I really had a chance to study the painting a lot and based on that I think I've been able to interpret a little bit better and learn more about what goes into painting a complicated piece of art with a lot of different aspects which are definitely hard to capture when you're painting it. So by examining the artwork and basing my poem off it I was able to find a lot of things that I would have otherwise overlooked when just looking at the painting in a museum or something. I think that poetry and art are intertwined in many ways because they both require a significant creative ability and the author or painter is required to put their own personal twist on it. I think that you can see that in the painting and in my poem. I definitely used my own type of language that I tried to capture in my writing, and I think Van Gogh obviously uses his unique type of brush strokes in his paintings.
Lazy Days - Wen Yan Toh
Today,
Is a lazy day.
Even the birds,
Who seem to jeer at everyone
Have decided not to bother.
The clouds,
Which usually try so hard
To cover the brilliant sun,
Seem to just float around casually
With no plan.
Today is just a lazy day.
The villagers have all surrendered into their homes.
Only the lone fisherman,
Slowly rows calmly through the narrowing,
Winding river.
Innocently humming a tune to keep himself company.
The careless wind carries his voice,
Across the tiles of the roofs,
Into the lonely mountains.
Today is a lazy day.
What was your reason for choosing your piece of artwork?
The reason for choosing my piece of artwork was because it was a piece that no one had ever seen before, as it was an original from my mom. There weren’t any opinions or interpretations of it which gave me total freedom to write anything about it.
What was the central theme of the artwork and how did you portray this in your poem?
The central theme of the artwork was the sleepy looking town and the feeling of solitary within it. My poem, titled “Lazy Days” shows the peacefulness of the town and the slow-paced actions of everything going on in the artwork.
How did your artwork influence your poetry?
The piece of artwork influenced the tone of the poem. I interpreted the artwork as a sleepy peaceful scene instead of a quiet, dead one. The use of the colors in the art added to the calming and relaxing tone that I tried to set in the poem.
How has writing this poem influenced your perspective on the art?
After writing this poem, I feel like I have really looked at the artwork in a more concentrated way. It hangs in a room in my house, and I take a glance at it every time I walk to my room, but I never really look at it and imagine what could be going on in it.
Is a lazy day.
Even the birds,
Who seem to jeer at everyone
Have decided not to bother.
The clouds,
Which usually try so hard
To cover the brilliant sun,
Seem to just float around casually
With no plan.
Today is just a lazy day.
The villagers have all surrendered into their homes.
Only the lone fisherman,
Slowly rows calmly through the narrowing,
Winding river.
Innocently humming a tune to keep himself company.
The careless wind carries his voice,
Across the tiles of the roofs,
Into the lonely mountains.
Today is a lazy day.
What was your reason for choosing your piece of artwork?
The reason for choosing my piece of artwork was because it was a piece that no one had ever seen before, as it was an original from my mom. There weren’t any opinions or interpretations of it which gave me total freedom to write anything about it.
What was the central theme of the artwork and how did you portray this in your poem?
The central theme of the artwork was the sleepy looking town and the feeling of solitary within it. My poem, titled “Lazy Days” shows the peacefulness of the town and the slow-paced actions of everything going on in the artwork.
How did your artwork influence your poetry?
The piece of artwork influenced the tone of the poem. I interpreted the artwork as a sleepy peaceful scene instead of a quiet, dead one. The use of the colors in the art added to the calming and relaxing tone that I tried to set in the poem.
How has writing this poem influenced your perspective on the art?
After writing this poem, I feel like I have really looked at the artwork in a more concentrated way. It hangs in a room in my house, and I take a glance at it every time I walk to my room, but I never really look at it and imagine what could be going on in it.
How are poetry and art similar?
Poetry and art are very similar in many ways. Both start out with an empty canvas and it is entirely up to the artist or poet to put down anything he/she feels like putting. There are really no restrictions and through the way it is drawn or written, I think you can just learn so much about what kind of person the artist or poet was.
Poetry and art are very similar in many ways. Both start out with an empty canvas and it is entirely up to the artist or poet to put down anything he/she feels like putting. There are really no restrictions and through the way it is drawn or written, I think you can just learn so much about what kind of person the artist or poet was.
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