An Essay written on Mar 8, 1923

Dorothy A. Johnson.
English 2 (7)
March 24, 1923.
The Future of Imagism.
[Graded B+ by the professor]

Before making any prophecies about the future of Imagism, it is necessary to understand what Imagism really is. It is not a more picturesque name for the entire Free Verse movement, but a separate school of poetry within that movement, including six poets, three of whom are English, and three American. The three Americans, who, naturally, interest us most, are Hilda Doolittle Aldington, who writes under the pseudonym of H.D., John Gould Fletcher, and Amy Lowell.(1) It is this last name which makes the Imagist movement of great interest to me, because I think that Amy Lowell is the most fascinating and the most representative poet of the modern movement. It is interesting to note that no matter how scathing critics may be of modernism in poetry, they all agree, even if reluctantly, that Amy Lowell is a remarkable, if not a great, poet. These poets have agreed upon a certain set of rules, or tenets, to follow in writing, and to understand their aims and ideals if it is quiet necessary to know and understand these tenets. They are, in brief:

1. To use the language of common speech, and to employ always the exact, not the nearly exact word.
2. To create new rhythms.
3. To allow absolute freedom in the choice of subject.
4. To present an image.
5. To produce poetry that is hard and clear, never blurred or indefinite.
6. To remember that concentration is of the very essence of poetry.(2)

I shall take up in detail those tenets which seem to be the most characteristic of the school, and upon which, therefore, most of the criticisms of modern readers and critics are based. To create new rhythms of course brings to mind promtly [sic] that much discussed, much critizised, [sic] and, I fear, much misjudged literary movement. Free Verse. The Imagists do not claim that free verse is the only way in which to write poetry. In fact they are rather divided in their practice as to this point. But they do claim that free verse often expresses the individuality of a poet better than the old conventional forms.(3) Old-fashioned readers, who are fond of poetry, but have not made a study of it, shrink from free verse in horror, and say it is not poetry because it has no meter. But intelligent readers, who can recognize true poetry in any garb, have also recognized the fact [professor inserts "realize"] that rhyme and meter are only accompaniments of poetry, and not poetry itself.(4) To be sure, there are thoughtful critics who condemn free verse as a passing fad taken up by those who wish to be ultra-modern and revolutionary, and these critics claim that meter in poetry is more than a convention but the body which contains the soul.(5) But they seem to be in the minority. John Livingston Lowes, in his book "Convention and Revolt in Poetry," says that neither rhyme nor meter, in their strictest sense, are necessary to poetry, as such, and reminds us that the protest of the Vers Librists is against the strait-jacket of meter, and not against rhythm. In another part of his book Mr. Lowes says that the new rhythms of poetry will become evident and also pleasing and delightful if read by an intelligent reader, and we believe that poetry is a spoken, not a written, art.(6) When we consider poetry in this light, it seems a sufficient justification for the "new rhythms." One critic even went so far as to say that English poets had always been Vers Librists, since there is no classic meter in English poetry. This same critic defends the Imagists by saying that great poets have always broken away from traditional rules of form in order to have greater scope for their genius.(7) Whatever other faults the Imagists may have, they certainly are justified in their belief that good poetry can exist outside the restraining bonds of meter, and that the rhythms should suit the matter of the poem.

The Imagists' aim "to present an image" is much misunderstood. Amy Lowell says, in part: "We are not a school of painters. The rule applies more to the method of presenting a subject than to the subject itself."(8) The Imagists' purpose is to create an impression, a clear, sharp picture, and leave the reader to draw out the meaning to his own satisfaction. They aim merely to suggest.(9) This short poem of Amy Lowells' [sic] illustrates this better than pages of explanation.

        The Two Rains
    Spring Rains
Tinkling of ankle bracelets,
Dull striking
Of jade and sardonyx
From whirling ends of jointed circlets.
    Summer Rains
Clashing of bronze bucklers,
Screaming of horses,
Red plumes of head trappings
Flashing above spears.(10)

The pictures in this poem are only flashes of color, but how numerous are the impressions that the poem imprints on one's mind, not only of sight, but of sound. The allusions are not obvious, but only suggest brain pictures to the imagination. Such is the case with all imagist poetry. It is the product of a keen sense of beauty and an active imagination coupled with the power of to [sic] condense and concentrate until almost every word brings a vivid picture or thought.

I have taken up these points separately because they seem to be the most vital and possibly the most radical phases of Imagism. Imagism is new. It is still in its infancy.(11) Therefore, like everything that is new and different, it is being much discussed and criticized by our literary public. On the whole I find that the critics who approach it sanely and without prejudice agree that, while the movement is not without its faults, the poets are at least sincere and have won a really preëminent place in our contemporary literature. William S. Braithwaite says; "I approached the work of the Imagists with considerable doubt, but found myself surrendering to an influence - that was deeper than the theme of the poem - it was a force, an element which created beauty on a strange new pattern.(12) But it has been said that though the Imagists' poetry is of undeniable beauty, it must have more verbs to stir us deeply. It relies too much on suggestion, and is not sound and serious enough.(13) I am rather inclined to agree with this last. There is no doubt that the Imagists are creating a kind of poetry which has a beauty and originality which will always appeal. But is it sound enough, deep enough, real enough to be more than a good sized wave in the huge ocean of poetry? I am inclined to think not. After several pages of H.D. and Amy Lowell, one turns with relief to more substantial poetical food. The beauty of Imagism is like the spar[k]ling sunbeams on water. It dazzles us, but we soon long for something safer and surer. To change the metaphor, the Imagists are the cunning workmen, the artificers in brilliant colors, while others must supply the foundations and the props of our poetical tabernacle of poetry.(14) For this reason I do not think that posterity will ever look upon the Imagists as great poets, or upon the Imagist movement as completely revolutionizing or making a lasting impression upon English poetry. What critics are saying about Imagism today will not be remembered fifty years hence. The fact remains that while the poetry of the Imagists is good of its kind, it will not be immortal.

1. Lowell, Amy - Tendencies in Modern American Poetry. pp. 235-236.
2. Lowell, Amy - Tendencies of Modern American Poetry. p. 239.
3. Lowell, Amy - Tendencies of Modern American Poetry. p. 239.
4. Yale Review v. 6 no. 2 Erskine, John - The New Poetry p. 379
5. Yale Review v. 11 no. 2 Maynard, Theodore - The Fallacy of Free Verse. p. 366.
6. Lowes, John Livingston - Convention and Revolt in Poetry. pp. 228-230. p. 275.
7. The New Republic for June 12, 1915 Braithwaite, William S. - Imagism - Another View. p. 154.
8. Lowell, Amy - Tendencies of Modern American Poetry. p. 244.
9. Lowell, Amy - Tendencies of Modern American Poetry. p. 236
10. Lowell, Amy - Pictures of the Floating World. p. 117
11. Lowell, Amy - Tendencies of Modern American Poetry. p. 246
12. The New Republic v. 3 no. 32. Braithwaite, William S. - Imagism - Another View. p. 154
13. Wilkinson, Marguerite - New Voices p. 88
14. Wilkinson, Marguerite - New Voices p. 89

Bibliography

Lowell, Amy - Pictures of the Floating World
    Houghton Mifflin Co. 1921
Lowell, Amy - Tendencies of Modern American Poetry
    The MacMillan Co. New York. 1917
Lowes, John Livingston - Convention and Revolt in Poetry
Houghton, Mifflin Co. 1919.
Wilkinson, Marguerite - New Voices
The MacMillan Co. 1919

Periodicals

The New Republic - June 12, 1915. v. 3 no. 32
    Braithwaite, William S. - Imagism - Another View
The Yale Review - V. 6, No. 2
    Erskine, John - The New Poetry.
The Yale Review - V. 11, No. 2
    Maynard, Theodore - The Fallacy of Free Verse