Class

About Looking: Poetry and the Visual Arts

The relationship between writing and the visual arts has long been a present tension in the history of literature. In this class, we will be reading as well as looking at poetry as well as paintings, drawings, film, and music under the concept of ekphrasis. Ekphrasis, historically, is simply a piece of writing about a piece of, usually, visual art—“Ode to a Grecian Urn” by John Keats is one of the most prominent examples. By looking at a wide range of poetry about a wide range of artwork—from the infamous arguments around “The Man with The Hoe” by Edwin Markham to Tiana Clark’s response to “BBHMM” by Rihanna—you will write your own poems centering the artworks that have most moved you. In this class, you will be provided opportunities to write about the artwork you know and love, while also provided with an array of new materials to experiment with and incorporate into your work. In addition to readings, discussions, and writing prompts, everyone will be provided with written feedback on their weekly poems and there will be options for one on one revision meetings.

Instructions for Accessing This Online Class

In order to access live class meetings, you must have the Zoom application downloaded to your computer. You will also need a WiFi/Internet connection throughout the duration of your scheduled meeting and a computer with audio and video capability. The information to join your Zoom classroom will be provided in your confirmation email upon registration. Please check spam folders if you do not see this email upon registration. For more information on how to use Zoom, please see our training manual here.

Some classes use a supplemental Google Classroom page. Should your teaching artist use Google Classroom, you will be invited to join the classroom via email at least 24 hours in advance of your class (check spam folders if you are not seeing this invitation). Please note that Google Classroom requires a Gmail address to access the Classroom. If you do not have a Gmail account, the email invitation will be sent to the email address we have on file and will prompt you to create a free account or enter an existing account to join the classroom. If we are unable to send an email invitation to your non-gmail account, you will be contacted by a staff member to provide a Gmail address. If you do not have a Gmail account, you can create a free account here. Should you have concerns about this, please contact a Loft staff member at [email protected] or 612-379-8999. For more information on how to use Google Classroom, please see our training manual here.