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The Huntington Education Department


The Poetry of Art:
An interdisciplinary lesson in art and creative writing

To be used in conjunction with the Huntington and Scott Gallery programs

(Adapted from "Imitating the Greats: Art as the Catalyst in Student Poetry"
By Marilyn Bates, Art Education, July 1993)

Grades 4 - 12

INTRODUCTION

Since antiquity, great poets have responded to the works of great artists — Auden on Brueghel, Maria Rilke on Van Gogh, and Wallace Stevens on Picasso. When students take this same interdisciplinary approach to writing, they produce seemingly disparate but surprisingly creative poetry. Responding to artwork causes student to rely on the efficacy of their own observations, strengthening their language skills, forcing them to summon up concrete terms that capture depictions on the canvas. Because art supplies a set of ready-made images, this activity, involving visual learning, is the catalyst for the student's own art — his or her poem.

This activity also serves as an excellent way to prepare students for a visit to an art gallery or museum. It requires no formal training in art, rather, simply the ability to observe and then write about one's observations. It establishes personal authority for the student to make his or her own meaning from a work of art.

OBJECTIVE

To develop skills in observation, and descriptive and creative writing.

BACKGROUND

Breakfast in Bed ©Breakfast in Bed (1897) Mary Cassatt (1847-1926)

Born in Pennsylvania, Mary Cassatt attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts before going to Europe for further study. In 1873, she settled in Paris where she was to remain the rest of her life. A close friend of Edgar Degas, Cassatt became part of the French avant garde and embraced the tenets of Impressionism. With its broken brush strokes and bright colors, Breakfast in Bed reflects the artist's aesthetic ties. The subject of a woman and child is a recurring theme in her work and this particular example is an especially telling treatment of the subject. With the child centrally placed in an upright pose, Cassatt depicts a quiet but charged moment in which a mother embraces her daughter, whose attention is elsewhere. Contrasting the mother's protective action and gaze with her offspring's curiosity with the world beyond her reach, Cassatt evokes the subtle tensions implicit in the relationship of parent to child.

THE LESSON

PART I (in the classroom)

  1. Prepare students in the classroom first, using slides of artwork. Choose works that are open-ended in meaning and cause speculation.
  2. Conduct an inquiry-based discussion of the artwork. First, gather the class in front of the screen to discuss various elements of the work. This is a simulation of what the students will do when they are at the museum or gallery. Be careful to let the students guide the discussion — don't offer any suggestions as to what is going on in the painting and don't give any information about the artist's actual intentions or the "real meaning" of the work. Allow them to fully explore and to verbalize their observations aloud. Be sure to give them time to "warm up," as they may be timid at first.
  3. Probe with questions. Encourage the students to elaborate on the observations by asking "Where? Show me what you mean." Or ask them to point to various elements in the artwork. Be encouraging, too: "I never noticed that before! Good observation!"
  4. Continue with "higher level thinking" questions. Let the students guide the discussion. This empowers them and gives them the confidence to view the artwork in their own way. Some examples:
    • Is there a central focus to this painting?
    • Does the use of colors, light and dark, direct your attention in any special way?
    • Can you imagine how the people (or animals, or things) in the painting feel?
    • Does the painting have a mood — calm, agitated, happy, sad, etc.?
    • What contributes to this mood (color, composition, subject matter, lines, texture, etc.)?
    • How would you describe the overall emotion of the painting?
    • What do you think the artist is trying to say to us through this picture (or sculpture, etc.)?
    • If you had to retitle this work, what would you call it and why?
  5. Write a poem or descriptive piece about the artwork. Ask the students to return to their seats and begin to write about the artwork. Have them begin with simple, two-word phrases to describe the image they see, such as: peaceful room, happy child. Tell them they can write anything they want. When they feel confident, they can then begin to tie their phrases together into poem or prose. Whatever they write, it should be specific to the artwork, and include as many of the concrete details of the artwork as possible. This attention to detail increases their awareness of the various elements of the work, such as line, color, texture, and shape.
  6. Read the poetry and prose. Even one or two lines are acceptable. The students may then later develop their phrases into finished poems. It might help to read your own poetic responses to the artwork, as long as it isn't too sophisticated and intimidating. You might identify your work as being "in progress" too. Encourage the students to complete their poems. Afterward, read some samples of finished works of well-known poets. Good examples can be found in Dannie and Joan Abse's collection called Voices in the Gallery (1986) and Pat Adams' With a Poet's Eye (1986).

PART II (during the museum or gallery visit)

Visit a site away from school, such as a museum or gallery. Allow the students to select a work of art on their own, that they respond to emotionally. Encourage them to choose a piece that they respond to in some emotional way. Visceral connection is the most important aspect of a writer's selection because it triggers unconscious, yet deeply felt responses. Repeat the writing exercise, followed by a poetry reading upon returning to the classroom. Assemble the students' work into a classroom collection of poetry and prose inspired by works of art.