The Let's Get Ekphrastic! Contest

Details

Art is often influenced by other art, and the art of writing is no exception. Have you heard of a kind of poem called ekphrasis? No? Then you might be surprised to learn that some of the English language's most famous poems are ekphrasis: Ode on a Grecian Urn, Elegaic Stanzas, and Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, to name just a few.

Ekphrasis is a poem describing or meditating on an existing work of art: a painting, a sculpture, a building, and so on. It can range from being a graphic description to an abstract reflection and everything in between.

To enter this month's contest, compose an ekphrasis of under 600 words. You can pick any visual work of art to be the subject of your poem, but it has to be real—no making up paintings! While you could write an ekphrasis about something non-visual, for this contest you must be able to see your subject (so you can't write about a poem or a song). Bonus points if you include a link to a picture of your chosen artwork in your work description.

Winning entries

Winners have been announced! Log in to see them.

Prizes

Rules

• Your entry must be an ekphrastic poem under 600 words.

• Entries must be received by May 31, 2010, and winners will be announced by June 14, 2010. Scribophile staff reserves the right to disqualify any contest entry for any reason and to change the terms of the contest for any reason.

• Entries will be judged by the Scribophile staff, taking into consideration the ratings given by Scribophile members. Decisions are final.

• Only one entry is allowed per member. Multiple entries will all be disqualified.

Submission guidelines

• To enter the contest, post your work on Scribophile and tag it with "ekphrastic contest" (without quotes). Your work will automatically be considered.

• Entry is free, but you'll need karma points to post your work. You can earn karma points by writing critiques of work by other members.

• Email submissions will not be accepted.