VISION and VERSE

STUDENT BOOKLET 1 –

Introduction & Resources

Name: ________________

Introduction

In this unit, you will explore ekphrasis—writing inspired by art. You will begin by reading and discussing several poems inspired by works of art. Through the discussion, you will learn ways in which poets can approach a piece of artwork (for instance, writing about the scene being depicted in the artwork, writing in the voice of the person depicted in the artwork, speaking to the artist or subject of the painting, etc.). You will then search for a piece of art that inspire you and, in turn, compose a poem about the piece you have chosen. You may present this to the class using either software or paper.

Ekphrasis: writing that comments upon another art form, for instance a poem about a painting

Ekphrastic poetry: a poem inspired by a work of art

Vincent's Bedroom in ArlesVincent van Gogh (1888)

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Techniques Used In Poetry

Poets have many ways of making words come alive. Look for them in the poems you read and use them in your own writing (but don’t overdo it). The following are some common language devises:

Technique Definition Example

Simile Comparisons using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’. I will protect and defend you like a wall.

Metaphor

An implied comparison between two different things. NB: Metaphors and similes both make comparisons, but in a metaphor the comparison is implies whereas in a simile it is indicated by ‘like’ or ‘as’. For example, ‘The sea of life’ is a metaphor; ‘Life is like a sea’ is a simile.

I am a dove while you are a hawk.

Alliteration Repetition of the same letter. bright bubbles bursting

Onomatopoeia Words which sound like they sound. hear the bacon sizzle and the toaster pop

Assonance Repetition of sounds or vowels. A child crying in the night

Personification A lifeless object or idea is spoken about as if it were alive.

golden leaves danced upon the wind

Rhyme Repetition of similar vowel sounds in words, usually placed at the end of lines in poetry.

Far over the misty mountains cold

To dungeons deep and caverns old

Repetition Repetition of a word, phrase or line.

The English are so nice

So awfully nice

They are the nicest people in the world.

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Techniques Used In Visual Texts (such as paintings)Painters have many ways of making pictures come alive so that the image ‘speaks’ to us. Look for them in the paintings you study. Understanding these techniques will help you to understand a picture and interpret its meaning.

Technique ExampleForeground Look at what is in the front of the picture (closest to the ‘camera’).

Sometimes objects or people are placed here for emphasis.Midground Look at what is in the mid-section of the picture.Background Look at what is in the back or distance of the picture.

ColourObserve what colours are used. They often convey emotions or represent ideas. For example:Blue Peace, tranquillity, coolness, purityYellow Happiness, cheerfulness (or decay, and sickness)Red Passion, heat, blood, excitement, danger and hostilityGreen Growth, energy, natureGrey Detachment, bleakPurple Wealth, royalty, sophistication, intelligenceBlack Death, rebellion, strength, evilWhite Purity, chastity, cleanlinessBrown Credibility, stabilityOrange Warmth, autumnNote that different cultures attach different meanings to different colours. For example, Chinese culture considers white to signify death and red to signify celebration.

Contrast Differences between light and dark, or bright and dull colours can convey different messages.

Lighting Low light may suggest that something is being concealed about a character.Bright light might suggest a sense of hope.Soft light may create a romantic feel.

Size Size of figures and objects often indicate their importance, status, power etc.

Angle Viewing from a low angle looking up can make figures seem powerful or threatening. Viewing from a high angle looking down can make figures seem isolated or vulnerable.

Salient feature The largest, brightest and most attention-grabbing image in a picture; usually what is noticed first

Symbolic images Look for objects that represent something else. For example, rose=love, lion=bravery, dove=peace.

Focus Different objects may be in focus while others are blurred in order to create emphasis.

Composition Look at where objects and images are on the page. Are they close together or far apart? Positioning often creates meaning.

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How to Annotate Paintings and Poems‘The Box (La Loge)’ by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1874)

From http://www.artilim.com/artist/renoir-pierre-auguste/the-theater-box.aspx

On Your Own

Look carefully at the painting ‘The Box (La Loge)’ by Renoir and quickly jot down your responses to the following:

Who are they? Where are they? What is their relationship? What sort of people are they? What mood is conveyed in this painting?

Add to the annotations already done – what other details do you notice?

In pairs / groups

Are your responses / annotations similar to other people’s?

Now hear John Mole’s poem ‘Entr’acte’ read aloud (next page).

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Eye direction – she is staring ‘nowhere’ & he is looking away (at someone else?) – suggests a distant relationship.

Positioning / body language – woman in foreground, man behind her – they are physically close but not ‘close’ or intimate. Her back is to him.

Symbolism of the stripes on her dress – they look like bars – is she imprisoned or ‘trapped’ in this relationship?

Jewellery & other symbols (‘trappings’) of wealth / privilege – they (especially the woman) seem unhappy despite these things

Blank facial expression – emotionless – their relationship seems cold and lifeless. This is reinforced by her pale makeup / complexion

‘Entr’acte’by John Mole

The cuff-link whispers to the glove.Such elegance, and all for love.

The glove confesses to the glass:Oh how slowly five acts pass.

The glass is lifted to the eye:Show me a tear I cannot dry.

The eye says nothing to the heart:Such elegance, and all for art.

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Personification of the clothing, accessories etc. Onomatopoeia of ‘whispers’ emphasises secrecy & things hidden / unsaid

Connotations of beauty, wealth etc. Suggests that they are ‘keeping up appearances’

“Confesses” – this word choice has connotations of secrecy (and wrongdoing?)

Rhyme and sibilance (repeated ‘s’ sound) also suggest whispering and secrecy

Colloquial (also emotive & melodramatic) language suggests boredom

Repetition (from first stanza) – used for emphasis

Word choice of “art” alludes back to the painting; also implies that their lives, appearances, relationship etc are ‘created’ or false, like a carefully-constructed artwork

The rhyme links these words. Interesting that her gloves are worn for ‘show’ and concealment

‘Man Lying on a Wall’ by L.S. Lowry

From https://sites.google.com/site/manlyingonawall/

On Your Own

Look carefully at the painting ‘Man Lying on a Wall’ by L.S. Lowry and quickly jot down your responses to the following:

What do you see, and in what order do you see it first? Number the things you focused on in the order you noticed them...brick wall, clock tower, etc. Did

you see things in different order to other people? Why? Now, retrace your steps around the painting and jot down any thoughts that flash through your

head as your eyes move to different parts of the picture. Make your own annotations on / around the picture

In Pairs or in Small Groups

Compare the similarities and differences in your own ‘mental walk’ around the picture with those taken by others in the group. Discuss the following:

How is the man lying? Where else might you see figures in a similar position? Think about the composition of the painting and why Lowry might have included the details and shapes he

has. What do you think is the mood of the picture? Happy? Sad? Peaceful? Resigned? Bored? Angry?...Something

else?

Now hear Michael Longley’s poem ‘Man Lying on a Wall: Homage to L.S.Lowry’ read aloud (next page).

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‘Man Lying on a Wall’Homage to L.S. Lowry

by Michael Longley

You could draw a straight line from the heels,Through the calves, buttocks and shoulderblades

To the back of the head: pressure pointsThat bear the enormous weight of the sky.

Should you take away the supporting structureThe result would be a miracle or

An extremely clever conjuring trick.As it is, the man lying on the wallIs wearing the serious expression

Of popes and kings in their final slumber,His deportment not dissimilar to

Their stiff, reluctant exits from this worldAbove the shoulders of the multitude.

It is difficult to judge whether or notHe is sleeping or merely disinclined

To arrive punctually at the officeOr to return home in time for his tea.

He is wearing a pinstripe suit, black shoesAnd a bowler hat: on the pavementBelow him, like a relic or somethingHe is trying to forget, his briefcase

With everybody's initials on it.

From https://sites.google.com/site/manlyingonawall/

On Your Own

Spend five or ten minutes jotting your responses around the poem. Your jottings might be about ideas or feelings the poem suggests, how the poet’s reading of the painting compares with yours, any puzzling bits, lines that appeal to you, and so on.

In Pairs or in Small Groups

Compare your readings of the poem. In the first part of the poem, the man’s attitude and expression remind Michael Longley of a clever conjuring

trick, an effigy on a tomb in church, a body borne in a funeral procession. Talk about these images and how the words create them.

In common with most people who look at the picture, the poet is a little puzzled about what is going on. In the last five lines of the poem he suggests what he thinks may be part of the answer. Why might he suggest that L.S.L. could be ‘everybody’s initials’?

You might find it helpful to know that Lowry, who lived all his life in and around Manchester becoming famous for its industrial scenes peopled by ‘match-stick figures’, was seventy years old when he painted this picture. It originated from an incident when he was travelling by train and saw a tired businessman lying down on a wall in this unconventional way. Perhaps this is Lowry laying himself down to rest, in an unconventional position, in his own industrial landscape? Or perhaps it is Lowry acknowledging his own description of himself as ‘one of the laziest men I know’?

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ASIA

Painting PoemEighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute: The Story of Lady Wenji Episode 4: Longing for HomeUnknown artist, early Ming dynasty (early 15th century)

Lament of Hsi-ChunHsi-Chun (circa. 105 B.C.)http://thedragontree.wordpress.com/2009/02/23/investigating-chinese-poetry-the-story-of-hsi-chun/

My people have married me

In a far corner of Earth;

Sent me away to a strange land,

To the king of Wu-Sun.

A tent is my house,

Of felt are my walls;

Raw flesh my food

With mare's milk to drink.

Always thinking of my own country,

My heart sad within.

Would I were a yellow stork

And could fly to my old home!

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Painting PoemThe breaking wave of KanagawaKatsushika Kokasai (1823-29)

The Great Wave: HokusaiDonald Finkel (1991)http://english.emory.edu/classes/paintings&poems/wave.html

It is because the sea is blue,Because Fuji is blue, because the bent blueMen have white faces, like the snowOn Fuji, like the crest of the wave in the sky the color of theirBoats. It is because the airIs full of writing, because the wave is still: that nothingWill harm these frail strangers,That high over Fuji in an earthcolored sky the fingersWill not fall; and the blue menLean on the sea like snow, and the wave like a mountain leansAgainst the sky.

In the painter's seaAll fishermen are safe. All anger bends under his unity.But the innocent bystander, he merely'Walks round a corner, thinking of nothing': hiddenBehind a screen we hear his cry.He stands half in and half out of the world; he is the men,But he cannot see below FujiThe shore the color of sky; he is the wave, he stretchesHis claws against strangers. He isNot safe, not even from himself. His world is flat.He fishes a sea full of serpents, he rides his boatBlindly from wave to wave toward Ararat.

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Painting PoemGirl Powdering Her Neck Kitagawa Utamaro (c. 1790)

Girl Powdering Her Neck – Cathy Song (1983) http://english.emory.edu/classes/paintings&poems/utamaro.html

The light is the inside sheen of an oyster shell, sponged with talc and vapor, moisture from a bath.

A pair of slippers are placed outside the rice-paper doors. She kneels at a low table in the room, her legs folded beneath her as she sits on a buckwheat pillow.

Her hair is black with hints of red, the color of seaweed spread over rocks.

Morning begins the ritual wheel of the body, the application of translucent skins. She practices pleasure: the pressure of three fingertips applying powder. Fingerprints of pollen some other hand will trace.

The peach-dyed kimono patterned with maple leaves drifting across the silk, falls from right to left in a diagonal, revealing the nape of her neck and the curve of a shoulder like the slope of a hill set deep in snow in a country of huge white solemn birds. Her face appears in the mirror, a reflection in a winter pond, rising to meet itself.

She dips a corner of her sleeve like a brush into water to wipe the mirror; she is about to paint herself. The eyes narrow in a moment of self-scrutiny. The mouth parts as if desiring to disturb the placid plum face; break the symmetry of silence. But the berry-stained lips, stenciled into the mask of beauty, do not speak.

Two chrysanthemumstouch in the middle of the lakeand drift apart.

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AUSTRALIAPainting PoemShearing the RamsTom Roberts (1890)

(http://artsearch.nga.gov.au/)

Shearing at CastlereaghAndrew Barton (‘Banjo’) Patterson (1894)

The bell is set a-ringing, and the engine gives a toot, There's five-and-thirty shearers here a-shearing for the loot, So stir yourselves, you penners-up, and shove the sheep along -- The musterers are fetching them a hundred thousand strong -- And make your collie dogs speak up; what would the buyers say In London if the wool was late this year from Castlereagh? The man that "rung" the Tubbo shed is not the ringer here,

That stripling from the Cooma-side can teach him how to shear. They trim away the ragged locks, and rip the cutter goes, And leaves a track of snowy fleece from brisket to the nose; It's lovely how they peel it off with never stop nor stay, They're racing for the ringer's place this year at Castlereagh.

The man that keeps the cutters sharp is growling in his cage, He's always in a hurry; and he's always in a rage -- "You clumsy-fisted mutton-heads, you'd turn a fellow sick, You pass yourselves as shearers, you were born to swing a pick. Another broken cutter here, that's two you've broke today,

It's awful how such crawlers come to shear at Castlereagh."

The youngsters picking up the fleece enjoy the merry din, They throw the classer up the fleece, he throws it to the bin; The pressers standing by the rack are watching for the wool, There's room for just a couple more, the press is nearly full; Now jump upon the lever, lads, and heave and heave away, Another bale of golden fleece is branded "Castlereagh".

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Painting PoemDeath of Constable ScanlonSidney Nolan (1946)

(http://artsearch.nga.gov.au/)

Ned Kelly (A Sad Tale)Paul Buttigieg (2006)http://www.paolospoems.com/general/ned-kelly-a-sad-tale/

Ned!SeriousDid you think you could beat them all?For god’s sakeYour gang was a rabbleBlaggardsAloneYou had a case my friendA good caseA real causePersecution is a crimeYou were a victimLong before you were a criminalAnd the lawyers were queuing up NedWaiting your letterYour plea for helpYou just had to tough it outWith no gunsAnd your chosen brief would reach fameIn an instantYa’ ma was in gaol for **** sakeYour story was newsworthyShe wanted you to liveA good lifeA farmer’s lifeShe just wanted you to come inTalk to youSure you were a rogueBut lovableMurderers lose NedYou can not kill fellow manAnd let your Ma’ down like thatHow sad

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Painting PoemDreamtime MachinetimeTrevor Nickolls (1981) (http://artsearch.nga.gov.au/)

Then and NowOodgeroo Noonuccal (1960s?)

In my dreams I hear my tribe

Laughing as they hunt and swim,

But dreams are shattered by rushing car,

By grinding tram and hissing train,

And I see no more tribe of old

As I walk alone in the teeming town.

I have seen corroboree

Where that factory belches smoke;

Here where they have memorial park

One time lubras dug for yams;

One time our dark children played

There where the railway yards are now,

And where I remember the didgeridoo

Calling us to dance and play,

offices now, neon lights now,

Bank and shop and advertisement now,

Traffic and trade of the busy town.

No more woomera, no more boomerang,

No more playabout, no more the old ways.

Children of nature we were then,

No clocks hurrying crowds to toil.

Now I am civilised and work in the white way,

Now I have dress, now I have shoes:

“Isn't she lucky to have a good job!”

Better when I had only a dillybag.

Better when I had nothing but happiness.

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BRITAINPainting PoemThe Lady of ShalottJohn William Waterhouse (1888)( http://www.jwwaterhouse.com/view.cfm?recordid=28 )

The Lady of ShalottAlfred Lord Tennyson (1842)

Part IV

In the stormy east-wind straining,The pale yellow woods were waning,The broad stream in his banks complaining,Heavily the low sky rainingOver tower'd Camelot;Down she came and found a boatBeneath a willow left afloat,And round about the prow she wroteThe Lady of Shalott.

And down the river's dim expanseLike some bold seer in a trance,Seeing all his own mischance--With a glassy countenanceDid she look to Camelot.And at the closing of the dayShe loosed the chain, and down she lay;The broad stream bore her far away,The Lady of Shalott.

Lying, robed in snowy whiteThat loosely flew to left and right--The leaves upon her falling light--Thro' the noises of the nightShe floated down to Camelot:And as the boat-head wound alongThe willowy hills and fields among,They heard her singing her last song,The Lady of Shalott.

Heard a carol, mournful, holy,Chanted loudly, chanted lowly,Till her blood was frozen slowly,And her eyes were darken'd wholly,Turn'd to tower'd Camelot.For ere she reach'd upon the tideThe first house by the water-side,Singing in her song she died,The Lady of Shalott.

Under tower and balcony,By garden-wall and gallery,A gleaming shape she floated by,Dead-pale between the houses high,Silent into Camelot.Out upon the wharfs they came,Knight and burgher, lord and dame,And round the prow they read her name,The Lady of Shalott.

Who is this? and what is here?And in the lighted palace nearDied the sound of royal cheer;And they cross'd themselves for fear,All the knights at Camelot:But Lancelot mused a little space;He said, "She has a lovely face;God in his mercy lend her grace,The Lady of Shalott."

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BELGIUMPaintingGolcondaRene Magritte (1953) ( http://www.masterworksfineart.com/inventory/3125 )

PoemTime, Gentle MenPeter Benton

For a while, Magritte supported himself and his wife georgette by designing wallpaper...Marina Vaizey

It’s raining civil servants, taxmen, school inspectorsGently falling earthward in bowler hats, dark overcoats,Clutching identical briefcases in black-gloved hands.What do they bring, I wonder? Do they feel anything?

Only the benefits of an ordered mind,Where everything falls into place; the report is filed,The books are balanced. The figures are agreed –It is, very simply, an open and shut case.

But, maybe what we see is not a visitationRather a final audit, a calling to accountOf little men drawn up like dew from homes and offices,Believing they have lived according to the book.

Solemnly, in neat black diamonds they ascendTo meet the Chief Inspector and their promised end.Imprinting their repeated pattern on the sky,It is our minds the silent swarm would occupy.

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USAPaintingNighthawksEdward Hopper (1942)http://www.artchive.com/artchive/H/hopper/nighthwk.jpg.html

PoemNighthawksJulie O’Callaghan

http://www.education.tas.gov.au/curriculum/standards/english/english/teachers/discussion/painter

The heat and the darkdrive us from empty apartmentsdown empty streetsto the all-bight dinerwhere fluorescent lightsilluminate us like tropical fishin a fish tank.We sit side by sidelistening to glasses clank,the waiter whistling,and stare at the concrete outside.Not looking at our watchesor counting he cigarettesand cups of coffee.

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AFRICA / BRITAINPainting PoemBig Woman’s TalkSonia Boyce (British artist; Afro-Caribbean descent)http://blackstudioart.blogspot.com/2010/05/influences.htm l

Big Woman’s TalkBeverley Naidoo (South African children’s author)

(with thanks to Sonia Boyce)Children should be seen and not heardGrandma says,Be invisibleI saySecret as silence in a submarineTake soundings.

I told her look before you leap!There are none so deaf as those who will

not hear.When children are little they make our heads ache,when grown, our hearts.

But it’s no use crying over spilt milk.Still waters run deep.

And little pitchers have big ears.

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DENMARKPainting PoemThe Starry NightVincent Van Gogh (1889)(http://www.vangoghgallery.com/painting/starryindex.html )

The Starry NightAnne Sexton(http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/171273 )

That does not keep me from having a terrible need of -- shall I say the word -- religion. Then I go out at night to paint the stars. – Vincent Van Gogh in a letter to his brother

The town does not existexcept where one black-haired tree slipsup like a drowned woman into the hot sky.The town is silent. The night boils with eleven stars.Oh starry starry night! This is howI want to die.

It moves. They are all alive.Even the moon bulges in its orange ironsto push children, like a god, from its eye.The old unseen serpent swallows up the stars.Oh starry starry night! This is howI want to die:

into that rushing beast of the night,sucked up by that great dragon, to splitfrom my life with no flag,no belly,no cry.

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Things to consider when writing Ekphrastic Poetry

• Write about the scene or subject being depicted in the artwork.

• Write in the voice of a person or object shown in the work of art.

• Write about your experience of looking at the art.

• Relate the work of art to something else it reminds you of.

• Imagine what was happening while the artist was creating the piece.

• Write in the voice of the artist.

• Write a dialogue among characters in a work of art.

• Speak directly to the artist or the subject(s) of the piece.

• Write in the voice of an object or person portrayed in the artwork.

• Imagine a story behind what you see depicted in the piece.

• Speculate about why the artist created this work.

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Observation Worksheet (for any painting; can help get you started in writing your own poetic responses)

List the first words that come to mind when you look at this artwork.

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RECORD: List all the things you can see in this artwork.

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PLOT: What is happening in this artwork? What ‘story’ is being told?

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CHARACTER: Who or what is the subject of the painting? How would you describe them?

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SETTING: What is the mood of the artwork? What sounds, smells, feelings, tastes could you associate with it?

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How does this artwork connect with you personally? Why did you choose it?

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MAIN IDEA: Now that you have closely observed the artwork, how would you summarise its main idea?

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After you have completed this worksheet, go back and circle any words or phrases you might want to incorporate into a poem about the artwork.21 | P a g e

General Activities

1. Brainstorm approaches to writing an ekphrastic poem. Some examples: • Account of the experience of seeing the artwork • Story about the scene or subject of the artwork • Conversation between two people or elements in the artwork

See Things to Consider When Writing Ekphrastic Poetry sheet for more information.

2. As a class, view an painting for a couple of minutes then individually free associate for ten minutes. This free association will serve as a departure point for your poem. For a more formal experience, use the Observation Worksheet.

3. Circle words or phrases to use in composing a short poem. You don’t have to follow any other rules for the poem; it can simply be free verse. (Alternately, you can cut up and reassemble your words into a poem.)

4. Share your poems in pairs or small groups. • What similarities do you notice in the way that the people in your group interpreted the artwork? • What differences do you find?

5. Group leaders report back to the class. They may read excerpts from the poems.

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Suggested Artworks‘Sensational Sydney’ (2009)

by Lisa Lorenz

from http://www.kimmbarker.com/2007/02/sensational-

sydney.html

‘The Landscape Cutter’by Jacek Yerka

from http://www.yerkaland.com/rate/preview.php?off=132&curr=PLN&ord=&t=5&act=0&string=

‘Joy Hester’ (1983)by Albert Tucker

fromhttp://www.deutscherandhackett.com/node/96/

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‘Christina’s World’ (1948)by Andrew Wyeth

fromhttp://yearinart.blogspot.com/2011/02/christinas-

world-1948-andrew-wyeth.html

‘Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose (1885-6)by John Singer Sargeant

fromhttp://www.illusionsgallery.com/Carnation,Lily,%20Sargent.html

‘Snowstorm: Steam-Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth’ (1842)

by J.M.W. Turner

fromhttp://www.victorianweb.org/painting/turner/paintings/

snowstorm.html

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‘The Librarian’ (1565)by Giusseppe Arcimboldo

fromhttp://arthistory.about.com/od/from_exhibitions/ig/

arcimboldo_paris/gaml1007_01.htm

‘Ophelia’ (1983)by Sir John Everett Millais

fromhttp://www.illusionsgallery.com/Ophelia-EM.html

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‘Liverpool Docks by Moonlight’by Atkinson Grimshaw

‘The Three Musicians’ (1921)by Pablo Picasso

fromhttp://www.paintinghere.com/painting/

Three_Musicians_2847.html

Try visiting

http://www.googleartproject.com/ – a fantastic interactive site that allows virtual exploration of world-famous art gallery spaces + viewing of high-resolution photos of hundreds of artworks.

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