Imagism

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Imagism

• A literary movement of the
• early twentieth century

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Imagism was begun by

• Ezra Pound
• Hilda Doolittle (H.D.)
• William Carlos Williams
• T.S. Eliot

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Basic Rules of Imagism

• 1. Direct treatment of the thing, whether
  subjective or objective
• 2. To use absolutely no word that did not
  contribute to the presentation
• 3. Regarding rhythm to compose in sequence of
  the musical phrase, not in sequence of a
  metronome.

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Elements of Imagism

• Freezes a moment in time
• Focused on evoking emotion and sparking the
  readers imagination.
• Everyday words chosen with extreme precision.
• Words paint a vivid picture of each image.
• Poem prompts reader to consider the meaning of
  each word and to think about the connection
  between two images.
• Poem avoided traditional patterns and created
  new, musical rhythms.
• Influenced by Chinese and Japanese poetry.

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In a Station of the Metro

• The apparition of these faces in the crowd
• Petals on a wet, black bough.
• Ezra Pound
• How does the speaker see the faces?
• Label the poems nouns as concrete of abstract.
• Discuss the two images.
• What is the theme?

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faces in the crowd
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The Great Figure

• Among the rain
• and lights
• I saw the figure 5
• in gold
• on a red
• fire truck
• moving
• tense unheeded
• to gong clangs
• siren howls William Carlos Williams
• and wheels rumbling
• through the dark city

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No. 5
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The Great Figure

• Among the rain 1. Evoke emotion?
• and lights 2. Spark imagination?
• I saw the figure 5 3. Everyday words?
• in gold 4. Vivid picture?
• on a red 5. Two images?
• fire truck 6. Meaning of each word?
• moving 7. Avoids traditional patterns?
• tense unheeded 8. New structure?
• to gong clangs 9. Concrete nouns?
• siren howls 10. Modern life?
• and wheels rumbling 11. Beauty?
• through the dark city

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The Red Wheelbarrow
1. Evoke emotion? so much depends 2. Spark
imagination? upon 3. Everyday words? 4.
Vivid picture? a red wheel 5. Two
images? barrow 6. Meaning of each word? 7.
Avoids traditional patterns? glazed with rain 8.
New structure? water 9. Concrete nouns? 10.
Modern life? beside the white 11.
Beauty? chickens William Carlos Williams
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• Can you write a poem in the Imagist style?
• Try it!