This essay examines the confrontation of the male gaze with female self-determination in ekphrastic poetry, using the poem Standing Female Nude by Carol Ann Duffy as an example.
The main aim of the essay is to show how ekphrasis and its specific features serve as a space in which gender conflicts are debated in the realm of aesthetics and how the emergence of a “distinctive female ekphrastic mode” (Kennedy 2012: 90) led to a shift from masculine dominance towards female power in the genre. In a first step, a definition of ekphrasis will be given and we will argue the case for why certain characteristics make ekphrasis particularly suitable for exhibiting the male gaze.
Subsequently, in a second step, we will demonstrate to what extent female writers have modified the conventions of ekphrasis and challenged its traditional gender relations to suit their own need for self-determination. Carol Ann Duffy’s poem Standing Female Nude (1985) will serve as an example for feminist ekphrasis.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Ekphrasis as the Epitome of Male Power in Aesthetics
1.1 Definition of Ekphrasis
1.2 The Male Gaze in Aesthetics and Ekphrasis
2. Female Modification of the Genre on the Example of Carol Ann Duffy’s Standing Female Nude (1985)
2.1 The Voice of Female Authors of Ekphrasis
2.2 Still Ekphrasis? - Contesting Traditional Male Conventions
2.3 The Transformation of the Ekphrastic Image : From Object to Subject
3. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This paper examines how ekphrastic poetry functions as a battleground for gender representation and power dynamics, specifically focusing on the shift from masculine dominance to female self-determination in Carol Ann Duffy's work.
- Gender conflicts in aesthetic representation
- The "male gaze" versus the female subject
- The emergence of a distinctive female ekphrastic mode
- Subjectivity and multiperspectivity in ekphrastic encounters
- The transformative power of the internal monologue in poetry
Excerpt from the Book
The Transformation of the Ekphrastic Image: From Object to Subject
The character constellation in the poem can be described as a staging of the traditional triangular relationship described by Mitchell (1994: 18), which is modified and tailored towards the need of the female sex. Through the use of the inner monologue, Duffy as the female author does fade into the background completely. She positions the mail observer (the painter) directly within the poem who is gazing at and attempting to paint the female nude model, who at first sight seems to be a mere object of his art. Also, the ekphrastic audience / public can be located in the poem by means of the symbolic utterance “the queen of England gazing // on my shape” (l. 12f.). The fact that the Queen only “murmurs” (l. 13) could imply that the nude model (as a symbol for female authors and women in general) is not longer willing to listen to the public opinion and being defined by it.
Having a closer look at the poem, however, it becomes obvious that the traditional gender-ascribed roles underlying ekphrastic texts have been changed. The most crucial change is that the female object is finally being given a voice and power over her own identity. Even though she still acts as an object in her role as a nude model, the painter has no power over her as he produces a piece of art to which the nude model responds with the words “It does not look like me” (l. 28). Also, the poem is less of a description of the nude model as an object but rather a description of the process of painting it by means of which Duffy stresses them model’s right to be involved in her own making and to define herself.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: This chapter establishes the theoretical framework of ekphrastic poetry and highlights the historical power imbalance between the male creator and the female object.
1. Ekphrasis as the Epitome of Male Power in Aesthetics: This section defines the technical parameters of ekphrasis and explores how the concept of the "male gaze" has traditionally dominated the genre.
2. Female Modification of the Genre on the Example of Carol Ann Duffy’s Standing Female Nude (1985): This core analytical section investigates how female authors challenge traditional conventions through specific literary strategies like the dramatic monologue.
3. Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes how the transformation of the ekphrastic image allows for a more fluid, subjective, and equitable form of artistic interaction.
Keywords
Ekphrasis, Male Gaze, Carol Ann Duffy, Standing Female Nude, Gender Studies, Feminist Aesthetics, Subjectivity, Analytical Cubism, Internal Monologue, Representation, Intermediality, Enargeia, Self-determination, Literary Theory, Power Dynamics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper explores the gendered history of ekphrastic poetry and argues that female writers, specifically Carol Ann Duffy, have successfully reclaimed the genre to express female self-determination.
What central themes are discussed?
The core themes include the struggle for power between the sexes, the deconstruction of the "male gaze," the role of subjectivity in art, and the shift from viewing the female form as an object to a subject.
What is the main objective of the essay?
The primary objective is to demonstrate how ekphrasis functions as a space for debating gender conflicts and how a "distinctive female ekphrastic mode" has emerged in twentieth-century literature.
Which scientific method is employed?
The paper uses a literary and semiotic analysis, applying frameworks from media theory (such as Mitchell’s triangular relationship and Robillard’s differential model) to interpret the poem "Standing Female Nude."
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body defines the technical limits of ekphrasis, analyzes the concept of the male gaze in film and art theory, and provides a detailed reading of Carol Ann Duffy’s poem as a case study for feminist modification of the genre.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include ekphrasis, male gaze, gender studies, subjectivity, internal monologue, and Carol Ann Duffy.
How does Duffy use the "internal monologue" to shift power in the poem?
By using the internal monologue, Duffy gives the nude model a voice, allowing her to assert her own perspective and mock the painter, thereby transforming herself from a passive object into an active subject.
Why is the reference to Georges Braque significant in the poem?
The reference to Braque and Analytical Cubism suggests that the poem itself attempts to mirror the fragmented, multi-perspective nature of Cubist art, which supports the model’s desire to define herself outside the singular view of the painter.
- Quote paper
- Juliane Amthor (Author), 2015, The Male Gaze versus Female Self-Determination in Ekphrastic Poetry, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/307706
