English Analyzing Ekphrastic Poetry

a vivid description of a scene or more commonly, a work of art

Form of poetry that comments on a work of art in another genre, such as a painting or a piece of music

Author of Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, poem describing the painting “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus” by Pieter Brueghel

Author of Musee des Beaux Arts, poem describing the painting “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus” by Pieter Brueghel

When comparing & contrasting poems, look for similarities & differences in these elements: Subject, look at how it is presented
Structure, short sentences vs long sentences
(short=terse, to the point; long=unique, more profound)
Word Choice, how descriptive are the words
Tone, what is the poet’s interpretation.

Which ideas from the poem are BEST reflected in the painting?

Respond to works of art, connects to artwork through detail, word choices, and tone

Can be analyzed by observing details, what is, or is not depicted in the art or poem.

Example: Icarus’s wings were melted by the sun but that is not depicted in the painting.

Is an individual undertaking. People may interpret art differently.