http://www.theartsdesk.com/visual-arts/listed-poems-inspired-paintings

This poem by Adrienne Rich is a perfect example of an ekphrasis. It caught my attention because I was instantly able to visualize exactly what was going on in the painting, which normally doesn’t happen to me with poems. The poem is narrated in the voice of the girl in the painting so it gives you a great description on what and how she sees things. The tone of the poem makes you feel gloomy but at the same time intrigued because of her great comparisons. For example, she compares her father’s “grief-tranced hands” to the veins of the lilac leaves. The lines “ I could remake each shaft of grass feeling its rasp on my fingers,” again paints a picture of the green grass. It also tells the reader how familiar the little girl was with her surroundings. The poem begins with a detailed description of the mother and father sitting under the lilac tree in mourning clothes, black of course. Towards the end of the poem the lines “I am Effie, visible and invisible remembering and remembered,” make you wonder if she was standing in the front yard with her parents or was she just a ghost watching them from a distance. Adrienne Rich’s vivid description and comparisons allows you to fully visualize the painting without ever having to see it.