Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Post #8: Ekphrasis

The idea ut pictura poesis (“as is painting so is poetry”) has been a philosophical conceit since the Greeks; Plutarch cites Simonides of Ceos (ca. 557-467 B.C.) as the originator of the phrase “Painting is mute poetry and poetry a speaking picture.”  Almost every critic of painting or poetry from the Renaissance through the eighteenth century continued this parallel, arguing that both painting and poetry should have a foundation in image.  Similar to the concept of ut picture poesis is the practice of ekphrasis, a rhetorical device by which one artwork becomes the inspiration or subject of another.

In order to better connect the literature to your imaginations, you must craft a creative representation of one of the texts.  This can be a painting, a series of photographs, a journal “written” by one of the characters, or a dramatic representation (on videotape) of a scene.  You may work in groups for this project, but group work will be judged by a higher standard than individual work.  These representations must be creative, original, and appropriate for the college setting.  On the day these projects are due (June 2), you will present them to the class.  These photographs are examples of what previous students created.  For this blog entry, choose which example you like the most, and briefly explain why.


sculpture inspired by Eugene Ionesco's "Rhinoceros"

drawing inspired by Gabrial Garcia Marquez's "Innocent Erendira"
topographical map inspired by Scott Carrier's "Running after Antelope"

painting inspired by Orhan Pamuk's "The New Life"

puppet inspired by Russell Banks's "Trailerpark"

photo collage inspired by Charles Simic's "A Wedding in Hell"

q-tip sculpture inspired by Anne Sexton's "Transformations"

a song inspired by Anne Sexton's "Transformations"

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Post #7: Interesting Title

For this post, choose a short story based on its interesting title.  Then, find one aspect of the story that you liked, and write a short paragraph explaining its appeal.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Post #6: Short Fiction

For this post, find a short story from our text from a part of the world that we will not otherwise address; in other words, don't choose a story by an author from England, the U.S., Uruguay, Japan, or Russia.

Then, explain how and why this story speaks to you.

Friday, April 15, 2016

Post #5: A Sampling of Other African Poets

As before, find a poem from "A Sampling of Other African Poets" (377-390) to which you feel a connection, and explain why this poem has touched you.

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Post #4: A Sampling of Other European Poets

Find one poem from "A Sampling of Other European Poets" (294-305), and write a short response explaining how and why it speaks to you.

Friday, April 8, 2016

Post #3: Other Latin American Poets

Read "A Sampling of Other Latin American Poets" (189-201), find a poem that speaks to you, and explain why/how you find it meaningful.

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Post #2: Other Poets from the English-Speaking World

Hello All,

For this post, find one poem from "A Sampling of Other English-Language Poets" (95-115) that speaks to you, and write a short explanation as to why you find this poem memorable/meaningful.