Poetry and Art

Springboards to
success
Using art as a springboard
for narrative writing . . .

→ What do you think is happening

in this picture?
→ What do you think it is called?
→ What catches your interest in
this picture? Why?
→ What do you like in this picture?
→ What is the story around this
picture?
→ What do you think will happen
next?
Using art as a springboard for
narrative writing . . .

→ What do you think is happening in this

picture?
→ What do you think it is called?
→ What catches your interest in this
picture? Why?
→ What do you like in this picture?
→ What is the story around this picture?
→ What do you think will happen next?
Spend a moment free writing your own thoughts
about this painting.

Pay attention to how it makes you feel; what emotions

come up; what memories are activated.

Read back over what you have written and underline

two lines that resonate with you the most.

From within those lines, circle three of the words, then

place a triangle over just two of your three chosen
words, and finally draw a box around just one.

You should now have redacted your writing to one

simple word. 
1. If what you see is
the beginning of a story, what might
happen next?

2. If it is the middle of a story, what

might have happened before? What
might happen next?

3. If it is the end of a story, what

might the story be? 
→ Using the image on this slide write the opening line
to a narrative on the paper provided.

→ Pass the paper to the next person to write the next

sentence.

→ Repeat this process until your teacher tells you to

stop.

→ Read your thrilling tale for all to enjoy.

In this colourful painting, Archibald Motley Jr. depicts the vibrancy of a
crowded cabaret in Chicago’s South Side neighborhood Bronzeville. 

→ Imagine that this painting is the opening scene of a

movie that begins with this line: ‘I knew then that
my life would never be the same.’

→ Using clues from the picture, decide who will be the

main character of your film and then build out your
story.

→ What happened in the days before what we see here?

What is happening now? What happens after this
moment and what changes happen in the life of the
main character?

→ Write out these moments as if you were constructing

the plot for a movie and getting ready to sell it to a
big-time producer.

→ Share the storyline of your movie with the class to

see if they would want to watch it on opening night.
Transforming poetry or art
into narrative form
→ A transformation is a reinvention of a text either in whole or in part. It extends the
original stimulus and focusses on some internal conflict, event or interaction. It may
keep some of the original stimulus such as the setting or it may update or backdate.
Texts may be transformed in many ways
01
Changing the point of view
(perspective) – see the text through
another character’s eyes or introduce
a new character
02
Changing the setting – transport the
characters to a new time and place
and see how the new context affects
their values and the decisions they
make
03
Changing the form – how does
changing the artwork or poem into a
new form affect the events and
values? How about adding
newspaper clippings and make it a
hybrid text. How does altering
perspective or setting transform ideas
of the original stimulus?
Consider the case of ‘Jack and Jill’
 ‘Jack and Jill went up the hill
 To fetch a pail of water

 Jack fell down and broke his crown

 And Jill came tumbling after’

→ So, a basic country setting in a time when water had to be brought from outside. If we
decide to transform this for a modern audience, what kind of narrative strategy will we
use and how might we go about it?
Decision time

 Decide whose point-of-view will be used

 Elect what details of the original text will be used

 Decide what details beyond the original can be added, keeping in mind the
intended effect
 Consider what the reader will gain from reading the story

 In the case of transforming Jack and Jill here are some decisions that could
be made
 POV – Jill, who is angry at being injured as a result of Jack’s clumsiness

 Form: The use of a diary format invites the reader to feel sympathy for her
and brings her experience closer to the audience
 Events from original plot: The trip up the hill, the bucket of water, the fall.
The details are developed from Jill’s perspective using adjectives, present
tense and humour.
 New events: The hospital, Jill’s angry response, Jack’s clumsiness and the
circumstances of the fall …
 Purpose: Through humour, to offer an appreciation that some events are
not always as simple as they appear
Jack and Jill cont.

 Highlight and label the sections in the following story ‘The

Aftermath’ to correspond to the features on Slide 6 i.e. (POV,
Form, Events from original plot/scenario, new events, purpose)
 You will be given a collection of poems and artwork

 Choose one of each

Sources:

→ Creative Writing Prompts | The Art Institute of Chicago (artic.edu) - Google Search