Introduce your class to ekphrastic poetry with an exercise that asks them to examine Edward Hooper's painting House by the Railroad and Edward Hirsch's poem "Edward Hopper and the House By the Railroad." After a close reading of the two works, individuals craft an explicated pastiche to comment on another painting. The detailed plan includes images, worksheets, activities, and background information on both artists.

Additional Tags

edward hopper, Edward Hirsch, english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Reverse the final project and ask class members to find or create an image to accompany a poem

Pros

• Of particular value is the illustrated Basic Elements of Art worksheet that details how the composition of an image evokes an emotional response in the viewer
• Participants first learn how to read Edward Hooper's painting before comparing their response to Edward Hirsch's ekphrastic poem 

Cons

• None

Common Core

RL.9-10.1 RL.9-10.4 RL.9-10.7