Ekphrasis

[Neville Briggs]

EKPHRASIS

On the Bush Poets’ website, Marty posted a poem based on a photo of a horse and Maureen often displays pictures suggesting these as inspiration for poems.

I discovered to my amazement and interest that there is a word for this referencing. The word is...ekphrasis.
The definition of ekphrasis is a bit clumsy; “ a rhetorical device in which one medium of art tries to relate to another medium by defining its essence and form, and in doing so, relate more directly to the audience through its illuminating liveliness...pheww !! much easier to just learn one word; ekphrasis. .
We should note that it doesn’t mean mere illustrating. Pictures in a story or poetry book are not necessarily ekphrasis..

It really means a work of art that stands on its own but still relates to another work of art.

Some examples might make it clear. If you have managed to stay awake so far.

The Russian composer Mussorgsky wrote a famous work called Pictures at an Exhibition, in which the orchestra plays a series of short pieces designed to give the essence of various works of art by the painter Viktor Hartmann. Also in music ( oh dear ! pop music ) we have Nat King Cole singing, Mona Lisa. A reference to Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic portrait of Lisa Gherandini.

In poetry, John Keats wrote Ode to a Grecian Urn, based on a wonderfully decorated classical artefact known as the Sosibios Vase and Robert Browning wrote a poem, My Last Duchess, after a portrait of Lucrezia di Medici by Bronzino.

In Australian art there are a couple that I know of. Sir Arthur Streeton did a marvellous landscape painting of the Yarra Valley at Eaglemont and called it : Still glides the stream and shall forever glide”, this is a quote from a sonnet named “ Conclusion “ by Wordsworth. And Streeton also painted the Hawkesbury River landscape and called that “ The purple noon’s transparent might “ . a line from a poem by Shelley that has the ponderous title of “ Stanzas written in dejection near Naples “.Sir Sidney Nolan had a go at poetry themes by Arthur Rimbaud and the infamous Ern Malley, I think they are more illustration.
It is perhaps a pity that Australian painters don’t seem to have been moved by Dorothea MacKellar’s wide brown land or Paterson’s Castlereagh River where the reed beds sweep and sway. Or even by Lawson’s transformed rouseabout.

The Art Gallery of NSW once held an exhibition where particular poets were asked to write a poem about a chosen Australian painting. The result was fantastic and I have seen the book that they made from it. It is superb.

My dream is that one day I can get going a poetry event where bush poems are matched to bush paintings. I am still trying to figure out how to do it.

[Stephen Whiteside]

I'm surprised you've only just discovered it, Neville. Surely they would have mentioned in the coppers' handbook when you were at the academy, in case you had to attend a bust at the gallery?

[Neville Briggs]

bust at the gallery?

A bust at the gallery, Stephen made a funny.

[Mal McLean]

A Walk in the Fog and Snow, Kinglake, June 10 2009, Picture by Lloyd GODMAN - poetry by Mal beveridge

A Walk in the Fog and Snow

compressed beneath the fog and snow
the ashes lie -
a graveyard for ten billion leaves….
and hopes and dreams.

compressed between the fog and snow
the saplings stretch
upon the Mothers loving breast
to suckle life

as trunks that bore the canopy
have longer thoughts
to grace the spaces in between….
the fog and snow.

[Mal McLean]

The above is my entry in this years Ekphrasis - Nillumbik shire - comp.

Not yet announced so best to keep my entry a secret lest i break all the rules.

Mal

[alongtimegone]

I enjoyed reading your article Neville, except for your dig at Nat Cole. Come on ... one of the greats of popular music.
Wazza

[Bob Pacey]

mmmmmm a very workable concept except your poem don't rhyme


Bob

[Mal McLean]

Nah Bob.

Horses for courses, mate.

For the sake of complete obscurity go to the Nillumbik Shire website and check out the previous winners.


Mal

[Mal McLean]

I nearly forgot that wonderful publication, "Poems of Banjo Paterson- illustrated by Pro Hart"

First published 1974 by Ure Smith.

I am fortunate enough to have a first edition. Much treasured.

Mal

[Glenny Palmer]

THAT is really beautiful, Mal.


Bobbo...you need to go to Finishing School! (Pop out here an' I'll finish ya! )