Framing the Moment
Framing the Moment
An Ekphrastic Poetry Challenge
An Ekphrastic Poetry Challenge
Write a poem inspired by an image. The image can be a photograph, painting, sculpture, or any visual art piece that sparks something in you.
Your poem does not have to simply describe the image. Instead, you have creative freedom to:
Address the subject directly (like William Blake’s The Tyger questions the tiger’s creation).
Write from the perspective of something or someone in the image (What does the landscape think? What would the person say if they could speak?).
Capture the mood, tone, or atmosphere rather than the details.
Let the image serve as a starting point for something personal, symbolic, or surreal.
Your poem should feel like a dialogue between the visual and the written—an interpretation, a response, or even a reinvention of what you see.
You can find incredible images through photo archives, art collections, and National Geographic-style storytelling. Below are a few recommended sources to browse:
National Geographic Photo Contest Archives (Stunning landscapes, wildlife, and human moments)
The Pulitzer Prize for Photography (Award-winning journalism and powerful documentary images)
The World Press Photo Contest (Photojournalism from across the globe)
The Library of Congress Photo Archive (Historic images from the past 150 years)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Open Access (Paintings, sculptures, and historical art pieces)
Find an image that moves you—one that makes you stop, think, or feel something unexpected.
The poem must be inspired by a visual image.
The poem must do more than describe—it should respond, interpret, or transform what is seen.
The poem should use vivid imagery, strong sensory details, and intentional tone.
The poem should connect to an emotion, idea, or perspective, whether directly or abstractly.
Focus on details, but not just what you see. How does the image feel? What does it make you think of?
Experiment with perspective. Write from inside the image instead of just observing it.
Use figurative language. Metaphors, similes, and personification can make the image feel alive.
Let the poem surprise you. Your first instinct might be to describe the image literally—push beyond that!
William Blake’s The Tyger (questions the creation of the subject rather than just describing it)
Rainer Maria Rilke’s Archaic Torso of Apollo (a poem about a sculpture that turns into self-reflection)
Natasha Trethewey’s Enlightenment (a poem responding to a famous portrait of Thomas Jefferson)
Eavan Boland’s That the Science of Cartography Is Limited (uses a historical map as a launching point for a deeper idea)
I wrote a Sestina inspired by a horrific scene from the documentary, 20 Days in Mariupol.