Imagism And Ezra Pound Essays - Imagists, Imagism, Ezra Pound

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 that the name of the movement was actually French, Imagisme. Pound's goal was to distinguish imagists from symbolists, but most believed the name insinuated a relationship with French poets like Baudelaire and Mallarme. The second attempt at differentiating the imagist movement from others was the suggestion that the movement had some kind of "mysterious ingredient or quality that only the user of the product can appreciate" (Dettmar/Watt). In Pound's own words "an image is an intellectual and emotional complex in an instant of time." Thus the meaning is tied to "a feeling" as a consequence of an event (Terrell, 18). The following are six rules from an Imagist manifesto: 1. To use the language of common speech, but to employ the exact word, not the nearly-exact, nor the merely decorative word. 2. We believe that the individuality of a poet may often be better expressed in free verse than in conventional forms. In poetry, a new cadence means a new idea. 3. Absolute freedom in the choice of subject. 4. To present an image. We are not a school of painters, but we believe that poetry should render particulars exactly and not deal in vague generalities, however magnificent and sonorous. It is for this reason that we oppose the cosmic poet, who seems to us to shirk the real difficulties of his art. 5. To produce a poetry that is hard and clear, never blurred nor indefinite. 6. Finally, most of us believe that concentration is of the very essence of poetry. ("Imagists") These words were used to describe how a true imagist should have written, so that the poetry would appeal to the population, not to only a select few. As a result of Pound's new movement, there was absolutely no way he could control the use of the imagism technique. Obviously he could not patent the new term. "Would-be" imagists with bad verse became more of a problem than critics of the free-verse rhythms. In 1914, when Pound first met Lowell, he initially welcomed her, introducing her to several authors and publishing one of her poems in his Des Imagistes (1914). However, later Pound believed that Lowell's poetry was not "direct and concise enough to exemplify imagist technique" (Dettmar/Watt). Lowell soon began using her wealth as a way to establish connections in the industry and take over leadership of the movement. Pound could not match Lowell in this respect. He soon dropped the term "imagism" and gave Lowell's movement the name "Amygism." Pound also refused to contribute to Lowell's second "imagiste" anthology (Dettmar/Watt). Becoming unhappy with the turn that his original movement was taking, Ezra Pound began an improved version of imagism called "vorticism." Again, he presented H.D.'s poetry as the essence of the movement. Critics have observed that the real difference between imagism and vorticism was that "the latter movement distinguished Pound from the mediocre artists who had overtaken imagism." Pound was determined to keep what he called "our little gang" an elite group (Dettmar/Watt). Perhaps the first true imagist poem, "In a Station of the Metro," was one of the finest to come out of the period.