course materials

1. Form: The form of this poem is up to you! It can be in free verse
(unrhymed, unm
Form: The form of this poem is up to you! It can be in free verse (unrhymed, unmetered),
with lines of any length, in stanzas or not, as you choose. However…– It can be no fewer
than 15 lines and no more than 25 lines long.– There must be a clear logic to the choice of
formal elements in the poem, including lineation, stanza patterns, rhyme or other sonic
(sound-related) features, and typography. This means that, if asked, your reader should be
able to give an account of why the form you’ve chosen fits the content of the poem.Theme:
This is an ekphrastic poem, meaning that it is inspired by, and/or engages with, a work of
art. We are defining “work of art” very broadly, to encompass any creative work or medium
that resonates with you. Examples might include: painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture,
music, dance, film, television, video game, online video, animated movie, comic, literary
work, theatrical production, or other live performance.As in the ekphrastic poems we’re
reading for class, it should be clear to your reader which workyou’re engaging with—
whether you accomplish that through description, a title, quotation(s) drawn from the
work, or some other method of your choosing.Here are a few ideas for how you might write
ekphrastically:– Use the art work as a springboard into a memory from your own life or a
meditation about a topic/theme that matters to you.– Write your way into the feeling-state
that the art work incites in you. For example, if a particular song puts you in mind of the
emotional state of returning to your hometown after a long absence, write that scene in that
tone, in conversation with the song. (Incorporating quoted material from the song would be
a great strategy for this!)– Write as if from inside the world of the art work. In other words,
describe a scene, feeling, or situation immersively, from a perspective that is internal to the
work—e.g., from the point of view of a character, object, landscape, or other aesthetic
element: color? Shape? Architectural feature? The possibilities are pretty much
endless!Suggestions:– As with the previous assignment, it is probably a good idea to
brainstorm in prose first.– You may want to experiment with multiple forms (line lengths,
stanza lengths, etc.) before settling on the one you’ll use. As you write, ask yourself whether
each line has “line integrity”: does it stand on its own in a meaningful and satisfying way? If
you’re using stanzas, does each stanza hold together as a unit of thought, feeling, or
perception? If not, you may need to change your line breaks or stanza pattern.