Self Portraits Ekphrasis Poetry - 918 Words

Ekphrasis poetry can be written as either an exhibition of the sensational aspects of an artist’s life or as a act to explicate the artwork itself. Gehrke balances both options by opening the gaze of the audience to witness the life of the artist but also the process, aftermath, and desire to paint. Gehrke respects the creative process of the painters, but also gives voice to the torments of the artists, their subjects, themes of death, life and love. The book as an entire collection gages the immediacy of art and time, because life is but a fleeting glimpse of fractured memories and light. Moreover, the images presented in Gehrke’s collection are intertwined capturing the urgency to paint, the transcendence of the artist from their body,†¦show more content†¦The flowers and gems symbolize the object of a person’s affections can create beauty in the world. Thus, the moods of both poems are romantic, grief stricken, morose meditation on lost loved ones. Furthermore, the significant images are the mirrors and windows, which represent the portrayal of the artist, their memories and the hope of reflecting their beloveds in a way that keeps their memories alive. Monet saw his wife as a mirror of himself, his own reflection, saying â€Å"So that he knew even then,/ that he would never/ not be looking through her,/ each morning, in the mirror/ his face laid on top of her face† (â€Å"Self-Portrait Monet†). While Rembrandt, used the mirror to paint not only himself but his wife as she died, explaining that â€Å"then this morning he must paint/ more distantly, self-love abolished to the province/ of the weak, the mirror turned away from him,/the canvas laid out on the stretching board† (â€Å"Late Self-Portrait Rembrandt†). The mirror is a representation of self but also speculation on the artist’s mindset and motives. The overall ingenuity of the poems explores the artists as associated with more than their art, but their memories and circumstances at theShow MoreRelatedExcellence and the Fulfillment of Ones Purpose is the Philosophy of Classical Greece1158 Words   |  5 Pagesa single-minded devotion to his duty, is another aspect of his heroism. Sympathetic to the weariness of others on the journey, he delivers speeches to his fleet to keep the men’s spirits high. Aristeia* A scene in the rhetorical devices of epic poetry where a hero in battle has his most excellent and glorified points. Aristeia can be the effect of the loss of life for the protagonist. Example 1: Book 5 of the Iliad is an example of aristeia, in which Diomedes prays to Athena for revenge, and the