What does ekphrasis mean in Greek?

Description
“Description” in Greek. An ekphrastic poem is a vivid description of a scene or, more commonly, a work of art. Through the imaginative act of narrating and reflecting on the “action” of a painting or sculpture, the poet may amplify and expand its meaning.

What is ekphrasis poem?

Ekphrastic poetry has come to be defined as poems written about works of art; however, in ancient. Greece, the term ekphrasis was applied to the skill of describing a thing with vivid detail. One of the. earliest examples of ekphrasis can be found in Homer’s epic poem The Iliad, in which the speaker.

What is ekphrasis used for?

The word ekphrasis, or ecphrasis, comes from the Greek for the written description of a work of art produced as a rhetorical exercise, often used in the adjectival form ekphrastic. It is a vivid, often dramatic, verbal description of a visual work of art, either real or imagined.

Who was the first poet for ekphrasis?

Hephaistos
The earliest and best known example of ekphrasis is the long description of the shield made by Hephaistos and given to Achilles by his mother Thetis. (The passage is found in Book 18 of the Iliad.) Low-relief sculpture embossed in metal on the surface of the shield is described in elaborate detail.

What are the origins of ekphrasis?

It should be no surprise, then, that the term “ekphrasis” derives from Greek, where it literally means “description” and was formed by combining the prefix “ex-” (“out”) with the verb “phrazein” (“to point out or explain”). “Ekphrasis” first appeared in English in the early 18th century.

Is ekphrasis a technique?

Basically, an ekphrasis is a literary description of art. Like other kinds of imagery, ekphrasis paints a picture with words.

How do you write an ekphrastic?

As you begin to write your ekphrastic poems, consider the following approaches: 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.

What is an example of ekphrastic poetry?

Usually, ekphrastic poems are written about a painting, but they can also be based on a sculpture, an object, or even architecture. One of the earliest examples is in the Iliad, when Homer describes Achilles’ shield. Another famous example is John Keats’ poem “Ode on a Grecian Urn.”

Why is ekphrastic poetry important?

In an ekphrastic poem, the poet usually describes some part of the work of art and may extend their own thoughts on the work’s underlying story or significance. Ekphrastic poems are wonderful ways to stretch your powers of observation and find stories hidden in the world of art!

What is Ekphrasis and example?

Do ekphrastic poems rhyme?

There’s no established form for ekphrastic poetry. Any poem about art, whether rhymed or unrhymed, metrical or free verse, may be considered ekphrastic.

How do you write ekphrasis?