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Writer's Lab: Ekphrastic Poetry

with Tiffany Melanson

In this generative poetry workshop participants will explore Ekphrasis—writing inspired by works of visual art.

In this generative poetry workshop participants will explore Ekphrasis—writing inspired by works of visual art. An Ekphrastic poem is often a vivid description of a work of visual art that moves beyond the boundaries of the inspiration into exploring the poet’s emotional reactions and narrating and reflecting on the “action” of a painting or sculpture to amplify and expand on its potential meaning. They will use the art as a catalyst to the creation of images and exploration of personal memory.   

The art we engage with will be assessed through the following lenses: 

Reaction: What was your first reaction when you saw this image? What do you think of? What immediately comes to mind? Do you know about it? Have you seen it before? Write anything that comes to mind without censoring your response.    
Scene: Tell me what is going on in this image. Who is involved? What are they doing? Create a scene or a story behind what you see. Create a narrative based on the mood or emotion the image evokes for you.  
Sensory Description: Beginning with what you SEE, describe exactly what the art shows you. Only reference what is concretely displayed in the art but try to describe it in as much detail as possible. Once you’ve established this detail, expand the implied sensory landscape. What sounds, smells, tastes, textures can you describe the experience in terms of beyond just the visual?  
Metaphor: Come up with a metaphor based on the image. What does this image remind you of? How would you use your description of the image as a stand in for something abstract you want to explore? (If the image depicts a boat on rough seas and I told you it was about love, how does your description of the scene begin to reflect a very specific depiction of love? How can you use the language to suggest this?) 

Registration is required for this event, and must be completed two hours prior to the start time. A library card and PIN are required for registration. If you do not have a card, click HERE to obtain one.

Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, accommodations for persons with disabilities are available upon request. Please allow 1–2 business days to process. Last-minute requests will be accepted, but may not be possible to fulfill. Please ask for Learning Services at 255-2665 or email JPLPrograms@coj.net.

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