The Online Scholar Institute

📌 Ekphrasis

Definition:
Ekphrasis is a vivid, detailed description of a work of art—real or imagined—often used in literature to bring the artwork to life in the reader’s mind. It can appear in poetry, prose, or drama, and sometimes reflects on the meaning or emotional impact of the artwork.

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✅ Example:

In John Keats’s poem Ode on a Grecian Urn, he describes an ancient urn so vividly that the reader can “see” it:

What men or gods are these? What maidens loth?
What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape?

Here, Keats is painting a picture of the scenes carved on the urn through words alone.

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And here it is! Now go ahead and use ekphrasis in your CXC prep/ CSEC prep.

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