Ekphrastic Poetics: Fostering a Curriculum of Ecological Awareness Through Poetic Inquiry

Abstract

In this article we outline the role of ekphrastic poetics in an ecological practice of poetic inquiry. Ekphrastic poetics, as a rhetorical device, involves one medium of art relating to another medium by unfolding its form and essence. Ultimately, our work involves a poetic response to an aesthetic form and it is through our ongoing collaborations that we are able to outline the importance of the poetic benefits of dwelling in natural places. We offer specific examples of how we engage in interpretive response activities that help to foster ecological habits of mind in teacher education.  Keywords: arts-informed; ekphrastic poetics; collaboration; poetic inquiry; ecology; curriculum