POIEMA
A selection of Ekphrasis poems
by
BRIAN STRAND
Published by QQ Press,Isle of Bute 2006 isbn 1-90303-562
FOREWORD
Painting and drawing have been hobbies of mine for some years
and especially since my retirement,so it has been a delight to me
that this hobby has become both an inspiration and spur to pursue
another direction with my other interest , poetry.
The Ekphrasis poetic form reflects works of art in poetic form and
my Ekphrasis cover the following three types thereof:
A poem that describes a specific work of art...
One that encapsulates an artist's general style and
One that depicts a particular school of art or genre.
I have included examples of each in this booklet with details (where
appropriate) of the inspiration for each poem.Most of the poems are
in the lanterne(half cinquain) poetic form.
My hope is to write more Ekphrasis poetry in a variety of short forms
as I explore and seek to understand the wide variety of artistic styles.
ART SCHOOL
The
secret
of seeing--
know how to
see.
This lanterne is a paraphrase of Alfred WOLS profound comment on art.
IN THE GALLERY
Her
gaze and
smile followed
his every
step
Mona Lisa -Leonardo DA VINCI (1452-1519)
EPITAPH FOR GEORGE
Martyred
Saint of England,
his dragons put to flight--
his plain red cross upon the white,
remains
St George and the Dragon- Paolo UCCELLO(1397-1475)
RULE BRITANNIA
Arthur's
excalibur
lay waste the heathen hun--
no blade could lance his Guinevere's
armour.
Engravings -King Arthur by Francoise TAYLOR (1920- )
EQUINITY
With
subtle
beauty Stubbs
pictures man on
horse.
George STUBBS (1724-1806) painter of race horses.
SYLVAN SCENES
A
light-dark
unity--
meadows,mills and
stream.
Spring,East Berholt Common- John CONSTABLE (1776-1837)
COCKNEY VISIONS
Light
structures
of colour--
in a painted
mist.
John CONSTABLE (1776-1837)
POINT-TO-POINT
Without
a rival and
ten lengths clear at the post,
the well-backed grey became the toast-
in beer.
Vale of Aylesbury Steeplechase-F C TURNER (1795-1846)
TRIBUTE TO RODIN
Once
word blind-
in stone he
sealed his fame with a
kiss.
Auguste RODIN (1840-1917)
BLUE NUDE 11
My
eye was
atttracted
to the Blue Nude
by the intensity of colour--
the
image
triggering
stark sensations
drawn by the simple cut-out shape.
Henri MATISSE (1869-1954)
NORTH & SOUTH
A
poet
of colours--
the breaker of
styles.
Are
Matisse,
Picasso--
at opposite
poles?
Pablo PICASSO (1881-1973)
THROUGH THE AGES
A sunflower turns slowly to the sun
An emblem to remind each faithful one.
Sunflowers- Vincent VAN GOGH (1853-1890)
EMANUEL
Revealed ,forever a consolation
Embodied by Jesus' incarnation.
Christ in Glory- graham SUTHERLAND (1903-80)
ONE SPRING DAY IN ARRAS
Over
the top they went,
the fallen filled the ground--
a fleeting life..so quickly did it
pass.
Over the Top- John NASH (1873-1977)
LIKE FADING FLOWERS
Poppy
emblematic,
flower of the field..its
dlicate tissue like far off
fallen.
A Study of Poppies- John CONSTABLE (1776-1837)
BLUE RIDER
From
Summer
to Autumn--
mood indigo
blue
a
Crown Prince
of colours--
in avant-garde
hue.
Julius EXTER (1863-1939)
GO BETWEEN (die Brucke)
Such
naive
impressions--
in a woodcut
style
with
crude words
expressing
feelings into
art.
Ernst Ludwig KIRCHNER (1880-1938)
MUTED
Silent,
nature's flowers
with which all senses merge--
become a dialogue ,with words
unheard.
Still Life- Alfons WALDE (1891-1958)
BELLA
He
opened
the window--
in streamed his first
love
with
flowers,
dressed in white--
she haunted his
art.
The Birthday -Marc CHAGALL (1887-1985)
PERSPECTIVES
Tall
twin blocks--
pervading
symbols of the
night.
City Nights by Georgia O'KEEFFE (1872-1986)
ABSTRACT HARMONY
It
was blue--
it was green,
it was red and
pink.
new
colours
amplified--
a still life set
free.
Georgia O'KEEFFE (1872-1986)
SHIPBOARD GIRL
A
simple
minded style--
meticulous
art
in
shaded
Benday dots--
she creates a
niche.
Ship board Girl-Roy LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
COMIC STRIP
Art
drawing
upon the
common place of life.
Pop artist -Roy LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
INTROVERSION
A
mirror
reflects his
conceptual
blues.
Mirror 6 -Roy LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)
BURNT IN
On
canvas,
star and stripes
melt down into
wax.
Three Flags (encaustic art ) -Jasper JOHNS (1930- )
PARADOX
His
simple
tragedy--
ecstasy and
doom
in
hazy
luminous,
blocks.
Mark ROTHKO (1903-1970
UNFRAMED
The
colour
fills our eyes
and enters our
mood.
Mark ROTHKO (1903-1970)
ABSOLUTE HARMONY
Black
on white
pervade the
symetrical
blocks
of
yellow,
blue and red--
on parallel
lines.
Composition in Red,Yellow and Blue by Piet MONDRIAN (1872-1944)
ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONS 11
We
undo
the zip..to
open out the
view.
Vir Heroicus Sublimis- Barnett NEWMAN (1905-1970)
RHYTHMS OF NATURE
Like
nature--
Pollock worked
from inside..
out.
Jackson POLLOCK (1922-1956)
MODERN ART
A
dribbled
light filled space--
colour floats on
white.
In Lovely Blueness-Sam FRANCIS (1923-1994)
ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONS 1
Look
to the
scenery--
now leave out the
scene.
Paraphrase of dfintion by Wilhem DE KOONING (1904-1997)
RESERVOIR
Poplars
silhouetted
against the rising moon--
filled full of roosting cormorants..
sleeping.
Roosting Cormorants-Wildlife photo -Andrea BONNETTI (1968- )
GOUACHE CUT-OUT
Stark
colour--
osmosis
in arabesque
mode.
Style of Henri MATISSE in his later years
DADA
The
random
selection--
a hobby-horse
art.
The first modern anti-art movement (1915-1922)
ENDWORD
If you have enjoyed this booklet my prayer is that it will prompt
you to try this Ekphrasis form in your own writings... and as
a postscript lanterne poem
The
painter
creates the
appearance of
things
we
thereby
see each of
them in a new
light.
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's profound definition paraphrased
OTHER BOOKLETS IN THIS SERIES
SHORTHAND OF THE HEART (a selection of poetic form)
edited by Brian Strand.Published by QQ Press isbn 1-903203-402
FLOWERS OF LIFE (a selection of American cinquains by
William Soutar) edited by Brian Strand.Published by QQ Press
isbn 1-903203-473
also other educational publications can be found
in my strand guides and poetic forms series on kindle
Contact maybe made to strandbg@aol.com
