What does ekphrasis mean in Greek?
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 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.
How do you use ekphrasis in a sentence?
The messenger describes the banquet tent, in a detailed ekphrasis . The Renaissance and Baroque periods made much use of ekphrasis . Virtually any type of artistic medium may be the actor of, or subject of ekphrasis . Like the other occurrences of ekphrasis , these works of art describe multiple events.
Where does the word ekphrasis come from?
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.
How do you do ekphrasis?
How to Write an Ekphrastic Poem
- Choose a piece of art. Choose a work of art that elicits a strong emotional reaction; it can be a piece of art you love, are inspired by, or find confusing.
- Write down what you see.
- Pick a form.
- Write from a specific point of view.
How do you write ekphrasis?
Follow these steps to write an ekphrastic poem:
- Choose a piece of art. Choose a work of art that elicits a strong emotional reaction; it can be a piece of art you love, are inspired by, or find confusing.
- Write down what you see.
- Pick a form.
- Write from a specific point of view.
What is the plural of ekphrasis?
ekphrasis (ecphrasis) ( plural-ases)
What is ekphrasis provide some famous literary examples?
Here are ten of the very best examples of ekphrasis from the last couple of centuries.
- Percy Bysshe Shelley, ‘On the Medusa of Leonardo Da Vinci in the Florentine Gallery’.
- Robert Browning, ‘My Last Duchess’.
- Walter de la Mare, ‘Brueghel’s Winter’.
- William Carlos Williams, ‘Landscape with the Fall of Icarus’.
What is ekphrasis in art?
Ekphrasis involves a written or verbal response that has been inspired by a visual work of art. This could be a painting, sculpture or even a dance, any of these can act as a prompt. The trick to ekphrasis is to try to avoid simply describing the work in front of you abstractly.
What is an ekphrastic poem?
According to the Poetry Foundation, “an ekphrastic poem is a vivid description of a scene or, more commonly, a work of art.”. More generally, an ekphrastic poem is a poem inspired or stimulated by a work of art.
What is an example of ekphrasis in the Iliad?
One passage of The Iliad, in which the speaker describes Achilles shield, is often cited as an example. This dates back to 762 B.C and also proves that ekphrastic poems can be about things that the poet has imagined. They don’t have to be about real-life works of art. Achilles shield is an example of notional ekphrasis.
What is notional ekphrasis?
It is observable at the same time that one is reading the poem. An example of notional ekphrasis is something fictional, like Achilles’ shield, or any other piece of mythological creation. It might also refer to mental processes like dreams and thoughts. This type of ekphrastic poem describes something that once existed but didn’t anymore.
