Difference Between the Ode and Ekphrasis Drafts

  1. The main difference between writing an ode and an ekphrasis in class was our generating steps. For the ode, we brainstormed concrete words that branched off “I Love.” We then brainstormed again using one word from our original brainstorm map. This resulted in one word: fire, that I was able to write an ode to, using the structure of the mentor text. However, for the ekphrasis, instead of brainstorming words, we found a poem that intrigued us. Then, we free wrote for 10 mins to let our imagination run free. This activity let us see what exactly we were thinking about, when looking at the painting, because we wrote down all our thoughts. Along with researching the painter and the painting, we then wrote an ekphrasis to the painting using our mentor text. I thought this difference in the brainstorming stage was really helpful, because it got us to think about each type of poem in a different way, therefore our final poems turned out very unique.

My handwritten notes:

1: ode brainstorm #1, 2: ode brainstorm #2, 3: painting free write for ekphrasis
  1. Reading through my ekphrasis draft, I realized it didn’t turn out exactly how I wanted to. While researching the author, I found an interview where she answered several questions about her work. She said she created paintings with “joy” as the unified idea, however my ekphrasis doesn’t sound too happy or cheerful. However, I think I still was able to create an experience for my reader, based on what I personally thought about the painting. I think my ekphrasis has multiple tones, especially since the 3rd stanza has a sort of extreme and captivating tone because of the metaphor and diction, while the 4th stanza uses rhetorical questions to create a reflective tone. I would say I’m happy with my first draft, but it definitely isn’t the last draft.

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