Society of Classical Poets logo
  • About Us
  • Join
  • Donate
  • Poetry
    Random
    • article placeholder

      'Looking for Your Keys' and Other Poetry by Christopher W. Boyden

      The Society
      March 9, 2013
      Poetry
      1 Comment
    Recent
    • Two Poems of the Sea, by Susan Jarvis Bryant

      The Society
      January 14, 2021
      16
    • ‘Hearts and Clouds’ by Roy E. Peterson

      The Society
      January 14, 2021
      8
    • ‘Night’ by John Freeborn

      The Society
      January 13, 2021
      19
    • Two Poems on Benvenuto Cellini, by Joseph S. Salemi

      The Society
      January 13, 2021
      15
    • ‘Washington’s Grief’ by Alex Rubstein

      The Society
      January 12, 2021
      8
    • The Singing Lines of Theresa Rodriguez: A Review of Sonnets

      The Society
      January 12, 2021
      9
  • Submit
  • Contests
    Random
    • Funny Food Poetry Contest Winners Announced

      The Society
      June 12, 2017
      From the Society, Humor, News of Note, Poetry, Poetry Contests
      1 Comment
    Recent
    • Turn a Joke into a Poem—Poetry Challenge

      The Society
      December 8, 2020
      69
    • Winners of the ‘Napa Valley Winery’ Ekphrastic Poetry Contest

      The Society
      November 15, 2020
      13
    • Ekphrastic Contest: Write a Poem on This Photograph

      The Society
      October 8, 2020
      148
    • The Society of Classical Poets 2021 Poetry Competition

      The Society
      September 1, 2020
      10
    • 2021 High School Poetry Competition

      The Society
      September 1, 2020
    • 2021 Poetry Translation Competition

      The Society
      September 1, 2020
      2
  • Journal
  • Essays
    Random
    • 10 Greatest Shakespeare Sonnets: An Immortal Series

      The Society
      April 8, 2018
      Beauty, Culture, Essays, For Educators, Poetry
      4 Comments
    Recent
    • The Singing Lines of Theresa Rodriguez: A Review of Sonnets

      The Society
      January 12, 2021
      9
    • Two Poems Making Use of ‘Conceits,’ by Joseph S. Salemi

      The Society
      January 9, 2021
      26
    • The Struggle for the Formalist Tradition: An Essay by Joseph S. Salemi

      The Society
      December 13, 2020
      58
    • Essay: ‘Portrait of a Millennial Art Student’ by Sally Cook

      The Society
      October 24, 2020
      22
    • A Review of Juvenalia by Reid McGrath

      The Society
      October 12, 2020
      12
    • On Troublemakers: Two Translations from Phaedrus, by Terry L. Norton

      The Society
      September 24, 2020
      9
  • Members
  • Poetry Contests
  • Donate
  • About Us
  • Submit

Ekphrastic

Home
Poetry
Ekphrastic

Two Poems on Benvenuto Cellini, by Joseph S. Salemi

The Society
January 13, 2021
Art, Beauty, Culture, Ekphrastic, Humor, Poetry
15 Comments
. Benvenuto Cellini’s Salt-Cellar A woman sitting back, just mildly curious To hear a man’s contrived, seductive patter, Waiting to see what fabrications spurious He’s dreamt up now. It doesn’t really...

A Poem on Sir Edward John Poynter’s ‘Faithful unto Death,’ by Peter Hartley

The Society
January 7, 2021
Art, Beauty, Culture, Ekphrastic, Poetry
14 Comments
. From Parthenope’s coast each to his post, Beseeching eyes upraised with steady gaze. That night would nature’s cruelty erase A city from the broiling earth and roast The dying with the lying dead....

Winners of the ‘Napa Valley Winery’ Ekphrastic Poetry Contest

The Society
November 15, 2020
Beauty, Ekphrastic, Poetry, Poetry Contests
13 Comments
Thank you to everyone who participated! This was a great effort for a meaningful purpose: the recent burning down of the Chateau Boswell winery in Napa Valley. Congratulations to the winners. Bravo!  ---Evan...

A Poem on ‘Black Lives Matter’ and Others by C.B. Anderson

The Society
November 3, 2020
Beauty, Culture, Deconstructing Communism, Ekphrastic, Poetry
18 Comments
  Context Is Everything When you attempt to cut some string A hammer doesn’t do a thing— Jackknives matter. When life has gotten back to normal, And dining out means dressing formal, Black...

Ekphrastic Contest: Write a Poem on This Photograph

The Society
October 8, 2020
Culture, Ekphrastic, Poetry Contests, The Environment
148 Comments
See the winners here. Above is a recent photograph of Chateau Boswell, a winery, vineyard, and tasting room located in California. It has suffered terribly because of the recent “Glass Fire” in Napa...
Fishing in boat on ocean

‘Upon a Boat, by Ocean Bound’ by Alexander King Ream

The Society
August 17, 2020
Beauty, Culture, Ekphrastic, Poetry
3 Comments
  Upon a boat, by ocean bound, Below the sun, upon the sound, The bait, a line, a reel, a fish: Bound for butter, herbs and dish.     Alec Ream is a writer living in the Northern...

‘Ilaria Smiles’ by Lawrence Fray

The Society
February 8, 2020
Beauty, Culture, Ekphrastic, Poetry
18 Comments
  Ilaria Del Carretto was the second wife of Paolo Guinigi of Lucca. Her sepulchre lies in Lucca’s Duomo San Martino and the tall Guinigi tower has a garden in the sky and is crowned with holm oak...

Write a Poem on One of These Images

The Society
January 19, 2020
Beauty, Culture, Ekphrastic, Poetry, Poetry Contests
38 Comments
The above photographs were taken and submitted by New York City poet Joe Tessitore. We invite readers to pick one of the images (or both) and write a poem. Post your poem in the comments section...

Write a Poem on One of These Hong Kong Protest Images

The Society
November 12, 2019
Culture, Deconstructing Communism, Ekphrastic, Poetry
14 Comments
  The above images are from the pro-democracy protests going on right now in Hong Kong, as the populace peacefully resists communist-controlled authorities. Today, there are no free elections in Hong...

Write a Poem on One of These Photographs

The Society
November 1, 2019
Beauty, Culture, Ekphrastic, Humor, Poetry, Poetry Contests
39 Comments
The above photographs were taken and submitted by New York City poet Joe Tessitore. We invite readers to pick one of the images (or both) and write a poem. Post your poem in the comments section...

Three ‘Imaginary Sonnets’ by Daniel Galef

The Society
June 9, 2019
Beauty, Culture, Ekphrastic, Poetry
5 Comments
These poems are part of Daniel Galef’s series Imaginary Sonnets. Each sonnet is a verse soliloquy from the perspective of a different historical figure.      Gillette to Frenhofer (spoken by...

Sonnets on the Arts Today, by Peter Hartley

The Society
January 5, 2019
Art, Beauty, Culture, Ekphrastic, Poetry
38 Comments
  Poetry Today If elevated thought had ever beenThe least criterion of excellenceIn poetry, why should it then be seenToday as simply of no consequence?If rhyme was good enough for...

‘Ancient Melodies’ and Other Poetry by Bruce Dale Wise

The Society
December 17, 2018
Art, Beauty, Culture, Ekphrastic, Poetry
10 Comments
(All poetry by Bruce Dale Wise) Ancient Melodies by Ercules Edibwa No longer are they heard, the ancient melodies of Greece, so beautiful and lovely to the ear. One now can only imagine their mellow...

‘On a Bodegón of Zurbarán’ and Other Poetry by Joseph Charles MacKenzie (with Audio)

The Society
July 19, 2017
Beauty, Culture, Ekphrastic, Poetry, Readings
18 Comments
LVII. On a Bodegón of Zurbarán From carbon darkness, splendor! Light comes forth. A painter knew the warm fidelity Of lemons pointing east and west and north, And praised the Thornless Rose’s...

‘What Rumor, What Word?’ and Other Poetry by Neal Dachstadter

The Society
June 23, 2017
Beauty, Culture, Ekphrastic, Poetry
What Rumor, What Word? On the featured photo above What rumor, what word, O Cloud from the sea? Cumulus, Nimbus: what sayest thou to me? But human and man; the simplest I be, And found ruminating,...

‘Approaching Spring’ and Other Poetry by Neal Dachstadter

The Society
March 26, 2017
Beauty, Culture, Ekphrastic, Poetry
2 Comments
Approaching Spring Above the mountain, under the sky, Canadian Geese, you hear their cry, Over the mountain, hear them sing, Man and Wife, approaching Spring.   Charge to Orion Gird thy blade...

‘Said the Painter’ and Other Poetry by Neal Dachstadter

The Society
October 31, 2016
Art, Beauty, Ekphrastic, Poetry
8 Comments
  Said the Painter Upon the mossy stones I dwelt, I did, and was, and painting felt An arch and angel bend to speak, Their sainted tones my brush to seek. And why such was, I could not say, But...

‘Unexpiring’ and Other Poetry by Neal Dachstadter

The Society
September 15, 2016
Art, Beauty, Ekphrastic, Poetry
Unexpiring Ekphrastic on the above photo Unexpiring constant Sun, Earth untired responding spun, Surging fire, maternal birth, Urgent sire of vernal mirth. Père Sol, of ruth and blaze, Mère Earth...

‘Metaphysical Mortar’ and Other Poetry by Neal Dachstadter

The Society
March 22, 2016
Beauty, Culture, Ekphrastic, Poetry
4 Comments
Metaphysical Mortar Between the cobalt and the blue Glean gestalt and sum of true All and each be more than six Wall and reach be more than bricks   Photo by A Sclamberg & H...




Trending Poems

  • A Poem on the Revealing of Election Fraud: ‘Epiphany’ by Susan Jarvis Bryant
  • A Poem on the Covid-19 Vaccine: ‘Needled’ by Susan Jarvis Bryant
  • A ‘New Year’s Revolution’ and Other Poetry by Susan Jarvis Bryant
  • ‘A Wretch Like Me’ by Joe Tessitore
  • Poetry on the Planned Illegitimate Election of Joe Biden as U.S. President
  • Three Poems on Photography, by Susan Jarvis Bryant
  • ‘Ode on ​Bertel Thorvaldsen’s Ganymede and the Eagle’ and Other Poetry by Talbot Hook...
  • ‘Amen and Awoman’ and Other Poetry on the State of the U.S.
  • ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer—a Sonnet’ and Other Poetry by Paul A. Freeman
  • ‘A Warning from the Red-Light Zone’ by Jeff Eardley
  • Two Poems Making Use of ‘Conceits,’ by Joseph S. Salemi
  • ‘The Rape of Lady Liberty’ and Other Poetry on Election Fraud
  • ‘Christmas Present’ by Joe Tessitore
  • Two Poems of the Sea, by Susan Jarvis Bryant
  • ‘In This Post-Christian Era I Believe’ and Other Poetry by Theresa Rodriguez

Resources

       1. How to Write a Sonnet

       2. How to Write a Haiku

       3. Poetry Lesson Plan

       4. A Timeline of English Poetry

       5. Poems by High School Students

       6. What Is Poetry?

       7. Ten Great Class Novels

  • Poetry Resources
  • High School Poetry
  • Translation
  • Poetry Contests
  • Poetry Forms
  • From the Society
  • Poetry Archive
  • For Educators
  • Humor
  • News of Note
  • Reviews
  • About Us
  • Symposium
  • The Raven
  • Riddles
  • Journal
  • Members
  • Terms of Use
  • The Society of Classical Poets © 2020