THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE: POETRY INSPIRED BY ARTWORK MS. BOEHMAP
LANGUAGE & COMPOSITION
Slide 2
POETRY INSPIRED BY ARTWORK Ekphrasis A literary description of
or commentary on a visual work of art A poem inspired by art
Slide 3
ROMARE BEARDEN (1911-1988) Born in Charlotte, NC Grew up in a
middle-class African American family Moved to NYC as a child and
later attended NYU Growing up, his household became a meeting place
for major figures of the Harlem Renaissance Langston Hughes was a
regular visitor, also friends with Richard Wright, James Baldwin,
and Albert Murray Artist and writer media types include cartoons,
oils, and collages Became a founding member of the Harlem-based art
group known as The Spiral, formed to discuss the responsibility of
the African American artist in the struggle for civil rights
Slide 4
ART AND POETRY Bearden remembers the passing of a childhood
friend named Eugene He also wrote a poem in memory of Eugene
Profile/Part I, The Twenties: Pittsburgh Memories, Farewell
Eugene
Slide 5
Farewell to Eugene Why do you leave me and for that broken bone
in your soul, so now the oscillating beacon of memory that sweeps a
sea of time is blurred by fog and I see only those buds which
follow you, but when I try to reach them, they disappear in the
silence. Nothing like this was necessary Eugene I stand here among
these tombs, Holding this flower Which will fall endlessly into
this open earth that rejects nothing. ____ I forbid you to
completely leave me even if I must journey through the mist of
years to where breakers fall on unknown shores. I will do so, again
and again, Eugene Until I find you and ask Why you had to leave.
Instructions: Compare Beardens collage to the poem Consider visual
imagery and mood
Slide 6
AARON DOUGLAS Aaron Douglas, From Slavery to Reconstruction.
1934.
Slide 7
WILLIAM H. JOHNSON William H. Johnson, Lift Up Thy Voice and
Sing. 1944.
Slide 8
JAMES VAN DER ZEE James Van Der Zee, Couple in Raccoon Coats.
1932.
Slide 9
POETRY INSPIRED BY ARTWORK Poems Inspired by Artwork from the
Harlem Renaissance Today you will write a poem inspired by one of
the pieces of artwork from the Harlem Renaissance. First, consider
how the art makes you feel. Look at the pictures subject and think
about ways to make connections to the visual imagery with words.
You may also ponder the work weve done with visual rhetoric. You
may find it helpful to analyze the image and then base your
creative work off of the purpose behind the applied techniques.
Part 1 Give your poem a creative title Your poem should be at least
15 lines Consider your line breaks, punctuation, and the
flow/rhythm of your poemthese should all be purposeful decisions
that make your poem a creative piece just like the artwork that
inspired you! At the bottom of your poem write: Inspired by the
artwork of ___(Artist Name)___. Part 2 After youve finished your
poem, write a short paragraph specifying the name of the chosen
artwork and a short description of what the artwork looks like.
Lastly, discuss the creative choices you made when interpreting the
visual with words.
Slide 10
THE APPROACH Poets can approach a piece of artwork in many ways
Write about the scene or subject being depicted in the artwork.
Write in the voice of a person or object shown in the work of art.
Write about your experience of looking at the art. Relate the work
of art to something else it reminds you of. Imagine what was
happening while the artist was creating the piece. Write in the
voice of the artist. Write a dialogue among characters in a work of
art. Speak directly to the artist or the subject(s) of the piece.
Write in the voice of an object or person portrayed in the artwork.
Imagine a story behind what you see depicted in the piece.
Speculate about why the artist created this work.
Slide 11
Aaron Douglas, From Slavery to Reconstruction. 1934. William H.
Johnson, Lift Up Thy Voice and Sing. 1944. James Van Der Zee,
Couple in Raccoon Coats. 1932.
