Imagism

At the end of the 19th century it was evident that the “rules” had to be changed. Modernism was experimentation with form which challenged patience and revolutionized the way poetry was written. Ezra Pound and T.S. Eliot were at the forefront of the modernist movement. From this movement stemmed “Imagism”.

While reading-up on Imagism, I came upon information on The Poet’s Club and the inspiration of the Imagists as a result of their opposing ideas. The imagists rejected romantic and Victorian traditions and favoured imagery in “clear and sharp language”. The imagists were the first modernist “group” and included women writers.

The Poet’s Club which was established by T. E. Hulme became a platform of debate. The “new age poet” F. S. Flint, was critical of Hulme’s theories. Strangely enough, a friendship was formed from this divide. They began to meet at the Eiffel Tower (in Paris) to discuss the reformation of poetry from the confines of rigid structure to free verse (and haiku) and to take-away any “unnecessary” information or “verbiage”.

*I thought this was a very romantic image. I pictured them talking about poetry, sipping café, smoking from pipes, thinking progressively, and contemplating the day.
Ezra Pound was introduced to the group because his ideas were similar to his own. He was an American poet who studied romantic literature and whose inspiration came from the likes of Dante and Cavalcanti.

Together, and with the help of others, they determined “a few don’ts” in regards to poetry. The group’s position believed in the following:

1. Direct treatment of the "thing", whether subjective or objective.
2. To use absolutely no word that does not contribute to the presentation.
3. As regarding rhythm: to compose in sequence of the musical phrase, not in sequence of the metronome.

Pound decided to publish an anthology which were a collection of peoms he selected and that he determined, best reflected their three “rules”. Pound was a critic who was respected by many, including W.B. Yeats and James Joyce.

(Note: This information is based on readings from the online encyclopedia resource: http://en.wikipedia.org)

Among the Imagists were John Keats and D. H. Lawerence. Keats in particular felt he was “walking in the shadows” of previous poets. The themes in Keats work was often love and romance and was full of whistful imagination. His poem, Ode to a Nightingale is full of imagery and reference to beauty - it is very “fairytale-like” with a focus on free verse/thought.

Ode to a Nightingale considers the different thought-provoking characteristics of human life. Keats considers the opposite feelings of pain/happiness, the actual versus the ideal, and life and death. Ode to a Nightingale is a poem about the movement of feeling- it is about change, it is concerning yourself with all aspects of life, it is objective.

The poem alludes to escapism. He experiences joy and pain, feeling and numbness, and he searches to find some sort of higher meaning through the bird. The bird is a living thing, an object by which draws his affection, however as the poem moves forward, the birds purpose is more evident as a symbol of life- that symbol being the “ideal”. This ideal relates to the ideal “state of being” in life. Unmixed, unaffected joy- perhaps the ablity to be insightful and content in any given sitution.

The development of this is shown when he contemplates the wine. Its most obvious purpose (to become intoxicated) is not the focal point, rather, he uses the wine as “symbol” of intoxication- contemplating the state or experience he would have- of becoming “closer” to something. The word “vintage” suggests he is looking for a certain “quality” within this enlightenment. He is obviously concerned with “quality” in life, however he is pursuing the ideal- the ability to have “quality”- perhaps meaning that, when one has quality, they have everything- there is no pending injury (meaning there “are no strings attached”).

He describes the relationship of the bird, to the world. He becomes aware of his state of mind, of becoming intoxicated with the Nightingale and realizing his senses are affected. As the poem progresses he experiences both “loss” and “connection” with the bird and with relationship to the world. This relationship mimics a “real” relationship one might experience when in love. The “honeymoon” stage, willingly being intoxicated by this state, realizing that “life goes on” and having to enter the “real” together- having to leave the honeymoon and enter the real world- and in this world there are many more factors which exist, and in order to sustain the relationship, a certain “quality” must be achieved. This quality is found in the ability to objectively look at the relationship and all its components. Near the end of the poem the poet wonders if he has learned anything- if he has acheieved this connection- if he has achieved this “quality” he was intently seeking.

It is curious to relate this poem to that of a marriage or a blooming relationship, as the interactions of the poet and the Nightingale mimic the stages and actions of human relationships.