Assignment: Ekphrastic Personal Narrative
Format: 3-4 pages, typed, double-spaced, size 12 Times New Roman (or similar), standard margins, with a title
Think of a meaningful experience you had with a piece of art (again, this can be any type of art-a film, a song, a tv show, a well-designed garment, a painting, a sculpture, etc.). This could be from any time in your life.
The purpose of this essay is to reflect on this memory and the work of art, and, through analysis, to discover/share why it was significant for you. Description of the piece of art is also important to this essay--help the reader see the art through your eyes.
This essay is both analytical and personal, so you will need to strongly consider your style, tone, and organization. It is essential that you think about the "so what?" here, just as some of the authors we've been reading have (like Lethem and Threthewey). Even though this is a personal narrative, there should still be a strong main idea.
When you begin writing this essay, most likely, you won't know why this piece of art was so significant to you. Writing the essay will help you discover this idea. After the essay has been written and revised, you will be able to reflect on its significance to you much more clearly.
While you write your essay, consider:
• What was the context? How old were you? Who were you with? How did the setting factor in?
• What was your initial reaction? What struck you most about this piece of art? Why? Did your opinion change over time or remain the same?
• Is the artist's identity significant? How?
• How does your own art and style figure in here?
• What does your attachment to this piece suggest/reveal about you?