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Ekphoric image

Imagery
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

An image rendered with such vividness and sensory detail that it evokes a strong mental picture, often through descriptive or metaphorical language.

Detailed Definition
Ekphoric image is a vivid, self-contained visual description within a poem that functions like a still-life or tableau, inviting contemplation; derived from ekphrasis, it renders an object, scene, or artwork with such intensity it becomes a focal point of meaning.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” the urn itself is an ekphoric image generating poetic meditation; In Auden’s “Musée des Beaux Arts,” Bruegel’s “Icarus” becomes ekphoric image of human indifference; In Rilke’s “Archaic Torso of Apollo,” fragmented statue becomes ekphoric image of divine command; In Tracy K. Smith’s “The United States Welcomes You,” surveillance camera becomes ekphoric image of state control; In Ocean Vuong’s “Time Is a Mother,” family photograph becomes ekphoric image of diasporic loss.
Additional Notes
Ekphoric image is a vivid, evocative description that functions like ekphrasis even without referencing actual art; it creates a “mental picture” so intense it feels like viewing a painting or sculpture.
Also Known As
Memory-triggering image Recollective picture Recall-inducing figure Mnemonic imagery
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