![]() I let the form and structure of the poem emerge from the raw images and through the process of revising and editing. ![]() I was asked to create a poem inspired by his art and life, so I started by reading about his life and looking at many of his paintings.Īs with most of my poems I started by capturing images, sounds and rhythm using words and phrases, and not worrying about the form of the poem. This poem was inspired by the paintings of Bert Weir, a renowned Canadian painter who passed away in 2018. Or pause just so for northern lights that Next let’s look at “landscape (after bert weir)” which was published by Wingless Dreamer in their “ Flee to Spring” anthology. ![]() Who am I to argue with a Pulitzer Prize Finalist? The final edit of the poem, swapping “rooster” for “cockerel” (and adjusting for the extra syllable) was thanks to a wonderful note from Ms. To the extent possible I wanted to avoid ending lines on a rhyme, and rhyming with monosyllabics (advice from Stallings). Stallings, who is a master at writing poetry using received forms, and challenged myself to hiding the form (which is a strict syllabic rhyming scheme using iambic pentameter). I had also recently interviewed poet A.E. The form of the poem didn’t start as a Shakespearean sonnet – that form emerged after I wrote a series of phrases and images, thought about the time period of the painting and detail design of the painting. This poem was awarded 2nd place in the Oprelle 2022 Oxbow Poetry Contest. I knew that the poem would be centered on the cockerel, rather than the woman. I immediately connected with the painting, the rich colors, the oddness of a woman holding a cockerel. The first example is a poem inspired by a beautiful 16th century painting of a Neapolitan woman holding a cockerel (aka rooster). I’ll use several poems inspired by art to demonstrate how I approach creating ekphrastic poetry. “ The Plague Doctor” (first published in The Dillydoun Review) was inspired by a photo a friend shared. My poem “ tethered” (from my first book “ canvas“) was inspired during a walk along the Pacific coast. ![]() I love using images as starting points for poetry – most of the time those images are serendipitous. I’ve written several poems inspired by art, photography and sculpture. Through the imaginative act of narrating and reflecting on the “action” of a painting or sculpture, the poet may amplify and expand its meaning.” The Poetry Foundation provides this definition: “An ekphrastic poem is a vivid description of a scene or, more commonly, a work of art. Distinct, fun to say, visually interesting. ![]()
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