Imagism and Ezra Pound

A detailed Summary of Imagism and Ezra Pound

Ezra Pound was one of the greatest poets of the modern era, creating a literary movement known as "imagism." Pound coined the term in 1912 to assist Hilda Doolittle (H.D.) in the marketing of some of her poems. Doolittle was an unknown author, and Pound decided that her work would be accepted more easily if she were identified with a group of poets (Dettmar/Watt), such as Richard Aldington and F.S. Flint ("Imagists"). Imagists focused mainly on the "clarity of expression through the use of precise visual images" ("Imagism"). T.E. Hulme's critical views inspired the movement, as imagists were revolting against the "careless thinking and Romantic optimism" Hulme generally saw ("Imagists"). Imagism also drew on Chinese and Japanese influences ("Ezra Pound," Andover).

Another important "imagist," if you will, was Amy Lowell. When she read Doolittle's poems in publication, Lowell believed that her "identity as a poet had been defined." As an aspiring poet, she now had to "define" herself in relation to the new movement (Dettmar/Watt).

Besides inventing an intriguing name for the movement, Pound used two additional strategies in the marketing and advertising of the movement. Lowell was fascinated t

In researching this topic in regards to Ezra Pound, I found it a bit difficult to find information regarding details of imagism. I truly found the Internet to be more helpful in the actual imagist theory, however research information from the library contributed to the analysis of the poetry itself. I believe it was easier to find information on imagism on the Internet, rather than, say, biographical information, because the "Imagist theory" is based more on facts and it would be harder to inject opinions into the content.

Pound believed that the purpose of literature was to present the truth so that the reader could trust the presentation, as well as learn from it (Korn, 53). If Pound was not a major figure in modernism, he was definitely one of its most radical and influential innovators in verse (Kayman, 5).

1. To use the language of common speech, but to employ the exact word, not the nearly-exact, nor the merely decorative word.

Pound describes his experience at the metro station three years after the initial occurrence. He saw several beautiful faces that day and tried to find words for what this had meant to him. That evening several words came to him, however it took him a lengthy period of time to put the words together into what he deemed an acceptable sentence.

I wrote a thirty-line poem, and destroyed it because it was what we called work 'of second intensity.' Six months later I made a poem half that length; a year later I made the following hokka-like sentence [In a Station of the Metro]. I da

Some common words found in the essay are:
Ezra Pound, Dettmar/Watt Pound's, Station Metro, Dettmar/Watt Lowell, Dettmar/Watt Besides, Amy Lowell, Baudelaire Mallarme, Doolittle HD, Imagisme Pound's, TE Hulme's, ezra pound, imagist theory, imagism pound, station metro, true imagist, pound believed, movement pound, name movement, 1914 pound,

Approximate Word count = 1034
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Movies