Illuminated Poetry

For this exercise you and a partner will be illuminating a poem or short prose piece by expressing the tone, metaphor, and imagery of the work visually. As you read over the assignment, be thinking about what works have spoken to you in the past, or speak to your teacher or librarian for recommendations. A few resources at the bottom of the page are offered for inspiration as well. In the end, you will create a single, 10" x 15" page combining the text of the original work and your art.

French illuminated manuscript, c. 1330

History

Making copies of a written work took much time and effort before the invention of the printing press. Before then, each page of a book was handwritten by scribes or monks. Particularly important works for the church or wealthy patrons were illuminated with bright colors and gold leaf. The page to the right is from The Romance of Lancelot du Lac, written in France around 1300. The page might look like an ancient children’s book, complete with illustrations. This is appropriate because both words (“illuminate” and “illustrate”) come from the Latin illustrationem, meaning “vivid representation.” Other impressive historic examples include the Book of Kells and William Blake's illustrations from his books of poetry.

Contemporary Examples

These frames come from Craig Thompson’s graphic novel Blankets.   

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  from Craig Thompson's Blankets, 59

• 

  from Craig Thompson's Blankets, 306

The panel on the left expands upon the metaphor “to burn my memories” by actually representing the character becoming enflamed.  

The panel on the right is close to a classic illuminated page in that the words are represented in the picture; the words are illuminated by the corresponding image.   

Both approaches use the combination of text and images to create a stronger thematic understanding in the audience.  

Student Example

Illumination of "Eleanor Rigby," a song by The Beatles

In this example (done on posterboard rather than paper), the student has interpreted the tone of "Eleanor Rigby" by The Beatles through stark, black and white digital art. Each frame illuminates a particular stanza from the song, expanding the reader's understanding (and possibly enjoyment) of the work.

Visual Inspiration

Add to this list if you find some great artists!

• Craig Thompson
• Chris Ware
• Ivan Brunetti
• Boulet
• Jim Woodring
• Alison Bechdel
• Megan Kelso
• Gabrielle Bell
• David Mazzucchelli
• Roz Chast