According to the Poetry Foundation, an ekphrastic poem is “a vivid description of a scene or, more commonly, a work of art. Through the imaginative act of narrating and reflecting on the ‘action’ of a painting or sculpture, the poet may amplify and expand its meaning.” By using augmented reality applications such as HP Reveal to selectively display ekphrastic poems only when the reader is also viewing the art that the poem is ekphrastically written from, the poetry does not necessarily have to “expand the meaning” of a work of art because the poetry is contingent upon the artwork. Augmented reality applications provide the opportunity for poets to escape the constraint of “amplifying meaning” that comes with the definition of ekphrastic poetry. It also establishes a much stronger connection between the work of art and the poetry. AR presents the subtle opportunity for poetry to be present at visual exhibits without taking up any physical space or the need for poems to be read out loud. Augmented reality broadens the definition of ekphrastic poetry and makes it much more accessible at art exhibits where it is most relevant.
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