Ekphrasis

Ekphrasis strikes me as a fascinating word.

ekphrasis (ek•phra•sis)
: the use of detailed description of a work of visual art as a literary device

Until my compulsory study of a text named 'Notes on Suburbia' during my English Advanced course, I've never heard of such a word before. In fact, I found it fascinating, surprising, and even shocked that this word was even utilised. Now, as I make this post, it makes me think, "I really don’t know much vocabulary, do I?"

It wasn't necessarily ekphrasis that was my main word of interest. It was its derivative, ekphrastic. The aforementioned text is actually ekphrastic in nature, as it references Haley Megan French's exhibition ‘Three Houses Down’ and comments on various ideas such as home, architecture, and suburbia, as stated by the Sydney Review of Books for the text’s overview.

And it made me think, was it possible for me to write something in such a way? I would say I’m particularly a writer. Maybe not so much a reader, but still, someone who prefers to put words on a page.

Now, I continue to wonder, how far will my journey in writing go? Will I be limited to the journal entries I write, or reflective pieces about my collapsing love life? Maybe, someday, I’ll be able to write something in ekphrasis. And one day, I’ll be able to look back and see how far I’ve gone.