Paint a Picture with Words
the Poetics of Literary Visuals
Poetic possibilities and reflective opportunities come to life in the way we describe the world around us. Here’s some considerations for creating useful and meaningful descriptions:
Pictures with Purpose
The most important part of painting any picture (whether it’s with visuals or words) is its purpose. While purpose does not need to be explicitly described or defined (if you could say the purpose in a single sentence, the art itself wouldn’t be necessary), as you create, it’s important to stay lightly connected to the question “What is this picture giving to me (the maker) and to the viewer/reader/listener”? Here’s some possibilities of purposeful pictures:
Compassionate Catharsis allows for the experience of difficult feelings such as sadness, anger, confusion, disappointment, shame, etc. It compassionately connects to the human condition by saying: “I too feel this way” or “It’s OK to feel this way” or “I love you when you feel this way” or “I care that you feel this way.”
Inspirational Images generate energizing experiences such as hope, joy, peace, resilience, triumph and love.
Pictures of Respect, Care, and/or Appreciation bring value to what’s under-appreciated or overlooked (as an act of love and caring attention).
The Primary Parts of Painting Pictures with Words
Though distinction is often made between descriptive and narrative writing, the two always coexist; they need each other: you can’t have effective narration without painting a picture of the place; you can’t paint a meaningful picture without considering the elements of story. With that in mind, here are three main parts of painting pictures with words:
The Setting asks “What’s here?” Setting is often painted with nouns (and adjectives to describe the nouns).
The Story asks “What’s happening here?" Perhaps it tells the story of multiple subjects in relationship to each other, or perhaps it tells the story of just one subject’s state of being. Story is often painted with verbs -and adverbs to describe the verbs.
The Experience: Asks “What’s it like to be here?” Experience is often painted with the 5 Senses: Visual (Color, Shape, Size), Smell, Sound, Taste, Feel (Texture, Density)
→ Reference: Here’s a list of descriptive adjective and verbs for each of the senses
Note that when painting the parts of a picture with words, it helps to pay special attention to contrasts and patterns in light, color, texture, size, sound, taste, emotion, etc.
Detailed Descriptions
Once you have a sense of your purpose, you can begin to paint your picture in service to that purpose. Here are two primary tools for describing your picture purposefully:
Descriptive words tell what it is. Precise language helps to write accurately and concisely.
Metaphors and similes show what it is through comparison to other things.
Note that there are infinite details that can be noticed in every moment. When observing and brainstorming, it’s helpful to notice and relate to as many of those details as possible. However, when you begin painting your picture with words, choosing the details that most meaningfully contribute to your purpose creates clarity and focus; generally speaking, it’s better to have less details that are more meaningful than more details that are less meaningful.
Simile & Metaphor
Similes use the word “like” to make a comparison. Metaphors describe one thing as if it were the other (they simply don’t use “like”). Both metaphors and similes give the effect of “showing” rather than “telling.” Here’s some considerations for using similes and/or metaphors to paint purposeful pictures with poetry or prose:
Observing and brainstorming with the phrase “It reminds me of” (instead of “It looks/smells/feels/tastes/sounds like”) will generate broader and potentially more meaningful similes and/or metaphors
Brainstorm similes/metaphors for multiple details. For example:
If it’s an animal or plant, consider each part of its anatomy:
Animals: eyes, hair/fur, hands/paws/claws, limbs, neck, back, belly, skin, voice, breath, etc.
Plants: leaves, flowers, pollen, stems/trunk/bark, roots, etc.
If it’s a landscape, consider each area separately: the foreground, the middle ground, background, the sky, the earth, the horizon, etc.
Choose comparisons that contribute to your purpose:
Imagine a thin cloud of smoke rising from a dwindling fire. Both “the smoke rose like an angel” and “the smoke rose like a ghost” would be accurate similes, but each gives a very different feel or meaning to the description.
Describe your comparisons to further contribute to your purpose:
Imagine walking into a dinner party. The moment you open the door, you’re overwhelmed by the smell of cooking. “It smelled like pizza” doesn’t give nearly as much meaning as “it smelled like late-night pizza delivery after a long day at work” or “it smelled like the homemade pizza my grandma would make every year for my birthday.” Both are accurate but contribute to very different moods or meanings.
Use similes/metaphors to attach emotion to states of being and/or actions (instead of emotional words such sad, mad, happy, etc.). Make sure your similes support your purpose.
“She sang like the morning bird who caught the worm” or “She sang like the soldier who finally made it home” vs. “She sang happily.”
“He ran like a deer being ravenously hunted by a lion” or “He ran like a child who missed the bus” vs. “He ran desperately.”
Poem vs. Prose
Choose the form of your written picture that best suits your purpose. Keep in mind that poems written in lines and verses (that do not rely on grammar) tend to engage the rational mind less; they tend to be more abstract. Prose (that obeys the rules of grammar) can feel more straightforward. Both have value depending on the purpose.
Now give it a go!
Paint a picture of the world outside your bedroom window.
Check Out More Visual Poetics for Reflective Arts:
Read More about the Foundations of Reflective Art with:
The Heart of Reflective Arts: for peace within and all around