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 Alexandroid, Beauty, Culture, Deconstructing Communism, Ekphrastic, Poetry 20 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...
‘Upon a Boat, by Ocean Bound’ by Alexander King Ream The Society August 17, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Ekphrastic, Poetry 4 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 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...
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 40 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...