Have you ever looked at the Mona Lisa, or at any other painted
portrait of someone you know nothing about, and wondered what the person was
like at the time the image was created? We all see images differently. When we
look at a photograph or a painting, we see something literal. The ways in which
we interpret a photo or painting depends on a wide range of variables as we
engage our individual experiences, perceptions, differences, ages, and cultural
backgrounds and bring them into the interpretive mix. This week’s prompt will
begin with a picture (painting or photo) that you will choose to write about.
Guidelines:
1. Look through a newspaper, look
at photos online, or select a painting (contemporary or time honored, there are
many from which to choose online) of a person—someone unfamiliar to you. It’s
important that the picture or portrait not be of a well-known person—in other
words, choose a picture of someone you know nothing about. There should be only
one person in the photo (like the photo above).
2. Either free write about the
picture or make a list of words that describe the person in the picture.
3. Next, make a list of things
that the picture suggests to you. When you look at the picture, what do you see? What does the person’s expression imply (the
eyes, smile, frown, etc.)? What emotions do the picture bring to mind? Physical
features will get you started, but then begin think about what the person’s
story might be.
4. Does the person in the picture
make you think of a particular emotion, an issue, a social injustice, a tragedy,
or perhaps a happy ending?
5. Write a word “portrait” about
the person in the painting or picture. You may even try writing in the first
person, as if the person in the picture is speaking. (You might want to try a
humorous approach.)
Tips:
1. Try to write in the active,
not the passive, voice. To do that, it can be helpful to remove “ing” endings
and to write in the present tense (this will also create a greater sense of
immediacy).
2. Be on the lookout for
prepositional phrases that you might remove (articles & conjunctions too).
3. The great author Mark Twain
once wrote, “When you catch an adjective, kill it. No, I don’t mean utterly,
but kill most of them—then the rest will be valuable. They weaken when close
together. They give strength when they are wide apart.” This is especially true
in poetry. So ... as you work on a poem, think about adjectives and which ones
your poem can live without. (Often the concept is already in the noun, and you
don’t need a lot of adjectives to convey your meaning.)
4. Avoid clichés (and, while
you’re at it, stay away from abstractions and sentimentality).
5. Show, don’t tell—through striking imagery, a strong emotional center, and
an integrated whole of language, form and meaning.
Example:
