Comparing Literary Works

The Imagist Poets

Ezra Pound (1885-1972 )

A s bo th an ed ito r and a
poet, Ezra Pound inspired
the dr am atic cha nges in
American poetry that char
ac terized the Modern A ge.
Pound 's insis te nce that writ
ers "m ak e it new" led man y
poets to di scard the form s, tec h
n iques, and ideas of the past and
to experiment with new approaches to poet ry.
Pound influ enced the wor k of th e Irish poe t
W illiam Burler Yeat s, as weII as that of T. S. Eliot ,
William Carlos Williams, H. D. , Marianne Moore,
and Ernest H emingway-a "who 's who" of the lit
erary voic es of the age . H e is best rem embered ,
howe ver, for h is role in the devel opment
of Imagism .
Despite his preoccupation with or iginality and
inv entiveness, Pound's work ofte n drew upon the
poetry of ancient cultures. Man y of his poem s are
filled with liter ar y and histor ical allusio ns, whi ch
ca n make the poems d ifficul t to interpret without
having the appropriate background information.
Fall From Grace In 1925, Pound settled in Ital y.
Moti vated by the mistaken beli ef th at a co un try
governe d by a powerful di ctator was th e most co n
ducive en v iron me nt for the crea tio n of art, Pound
beca me an outspo ke n suppor ter of Italian dict ator
Beni to Mus sol ini during W orl d War II. In 194 3,
the American govern men t indic ted Pound for
treason; in 194 5, he was arres ted by Ameri can
troops and im prisoned. A fter be ing flown bac k to
the United States in 1945, h e was judged psycho
logically unfi t to sta nd trial and was confined to
a hospital for th e crimina lly in san e. There he
rem ained until 1958, whe n he was released du e
largely to the efforts of the liter ary commun ity he
h ad so do ggedl y support ed over the year s. H e
re turn ed to It aly, wh ere h e lived until hi s death .

726 Disillusion, Defiance, and Disconten t ( 1914-1 946)

William Carlos Williams

(1883-1963)

Unlike hi s fellow Imagists,

William Carlos Willi c1ll~ s
spe n t most of his life i I
the United Sta tes, wh ere
he pursued a double car eer
as a poet and a ped iat rician
in N ew Jersey. H e felt tha ~ his
experienc es as a doctor help Jd
prov ide him wit h insp irati on as a poet, cred iting
med ic ine for his a bility to "gai n entrance to . ..
the sec ret gard ens of t he self."
The ch ild of immigrants, Will iams grew up
speaking Span ish , French, and British English.
N evertheless, he was ena mo red of American
lan guage and life. He rejected t he views of h is
co llege frie nd, Ezra Pou nd , who be lieve d in u:ing
allu sions to history, rel igio n , and ancie n t litera
tur e. W illiams focused instead on capt uring the
essence of modern American life by dep icting
ord inary peop le, o bjec ts, and ex pe rie nces usin g
J
curre nt , everyday lan guage.
The Poetry of Daily Life In volumes such a.
Spring and All (192 3) and In the American Grain
(1925), W illiams cap tured th e essence of Ame ~'ican
life and lands cape. H e avo ided offering ex plan tio ns,
remark ing th at a poe t sho uld deal in "No idea J but
in thi ngs';--eoncrete images th at spea k for them
selves, evoking emo tions and ideas,
.
In his later work, W illiams departed from Plure
Imagism in o rde r to write more expa ns ive ly. Hi s
I
five-vo lume poem Paterson (1946-58) expl ores th e
idea of a city as a symbol for a ma n . The poe n is
based on the real ci ty of Paterson , New Jers e ~.
W illiams continued to write even after hi s
failing health for ced him to give up his medi cal
practice. In 1963, he receiv ed a Pul itzer PrizJ for
Pictures from Breughel and Other Poems, his fit at
vo lume of poe tr y.

H. D. (Hilda Doolittle )
(1886-1961 )

cre ating innov ative musical line s in her poetry.

With these unu sual techn ique s, H . D. focused
much of h er poe try a nd prose on th e issues of her
day-World Wars I and II, the growing interest in
th e human psych e cre at ed by Sigmund Freud's
work , and th e blossoming film medium.
In 1925, a lmost all of H . D.'s ea rly poems were
gathered in Collected Poems, a volume th at also
contained her tran slation s from th e Odysse)' and
from the Greek poet Sapp ho, Sh e also wro te a
play-HiN)olytus Temporizes, whi ch appeared in
1927-and two prose work s-Palimpsest (1926 )
and Hed)'lu.~ (192 8) . During the later stages of
her career, sh e focused on writing longer works,
includin g an ep ic poem. H . D. is best remem bered,
however, for her ea rly Imagist poet ry.

In 19 13, whe n Ezra

Pound resha ped three of
Hild a Doo little's poe ms
and submi tted th em to
Poetr)' magazine un der the
name "H. D., Imagiste," th e
Imagist mo vement was born.
"
The publicatio n of th e poe ms also
servt'ld to l aunc~ th e s u c c ess ~u l ca reer of the youn g
poet , who co n tinued to publ ish under the name
H . D. th rougho ut her life.
Bo ~n in Pennsylvani a, Doolittle was only
fiftecb when she first met Ezra Pound, who was
stud)hng at th e Un iversity of Pennsylvania . In 1911,
,J
Doolittle moved to London and renew ed
her at quaintance with Pound. She married
Background on Imagism
a elo I e friend of his, th e English poet
Imagism was a literary movement established in the early
Richard A ldington , but th e marriage strug
1900s by Ezra Pound and other poets. As the name suggests,
gled knd failed durin g World War I when
the Imagists concentrated on the direct presentation of
AldiL~gton left to fight in France. Doolittle
images, or word pictures. An Imagist poem expressed the
remained a shor t wh ile in Lon don , where
essence of an object, person, or incid ent, without p roviding
she 0ecame a leader of the Imagist group.
explanations . Through the spare, clean presentation of an
She Jcturned to the United Sta tes ami set
image, the Imagists hoped to freeze a single moment in time
tled in Ca lifornia, whe re she remained for a
and to capture t he emotions of that moment. To acco m plish
this purpose, the Imagists used the language of eve ryday
year before going back to England . In 1921,
speech, carefully choosing each word. They also shied away
she n oved to Switzerland , and lived th ere
from
traditional poetic patterns, focusing inst ead on creating
until her death .

Clas ically Inspired Like th e G reek

lyric th at she so greatly admired, H. D.'s
ea rlylpoems were brief, precise, and
direc t. O fte n emphasizing ligh t, co lor,
and Ihysical textures, she created vivid,
emotive images. Like o ther Imagist
I
poets , H. D. used eve ryday speec h,
carefully an d sparing ly chosen to evoke
an eruot iona l respon se, to freeze a singl e
mOIl~ent in time. She also abando ned
tradi hon al rhyth mica l pa tte rns, instead

new, music al rhythms .

The Imagists were strongly infl uenced by traditional
Chinese and Japanese poetry. Many Imagist poems bear
a close resemblance to the Japanese verse forms of haiku
and tanka, wh ich generally evoke an emotional response
through the presentation of a single image o r a pair of
contrasting images.
The Im ag ist movement was short-lived , last ing only until
about 1918. However, for many years that followed , the
poems of Pound , Willi ams, HD. and other Imagists contin
ued to influence the work of other poets, incl ud ing Wallace
Stevens, 1.S. Eliot, and Hart Crane .

r
The Imagis t Poets 727

Preview
Connecting to the Literature
You may know wh a t it is like to have a song stick in your mind, bu t
have you ev er h ad an image lod ge th ere ? The poem s you are about to
read ca pture in words some of the str ik ing images that lodged in the
minds and emo t ions of the Im agists.

Literary Analysis
Imagist P oetry
Imagist poems focu s on ev ok ing emotion and sparking the imagina
tion th rough the vivid presentat ion of a limited number of images. "In
a S tation of the Metro," for example, presents just two images and co n
sists of only two line s and fourt een well-chose n word s. Few poems have
been written that convey so much meaning with such brevity.

Compari ng Litera ry Works

In h is essay "A Few Don'ts by an Imagiste ," Ezra Pound describes the
image as something mo re than a simple word- picture. In stead, he says it
is "that whi ch presents an intellectual and emo t ional com plex in an
instant of time."
For Pound , the image br ings the reader a new way of seeing-on th e
ph ysical level th rou gh the senses, and on h igh er levels th rough the emo
tions an d intellect. A s you read th ese poem s, think abou t which ones best
achieve th e effect of "that sense of sudden grow th " that Po und beli eved
was the highest ach ieve ment of art.

Reading Strategy
Engag ing Your Senses
These poems are filled with viv id imagery-word s or ph rases that
ap pea l to the se nses . As you enco un ter each image, engage you r senses
by re-creating in your mind the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and physica l
sens ations associ ated with the image. Als o note that som e images ap pea l
to more than one sense. For examp le , you can almost see an d feel the
thickness in the ai r as H. D. ca lls o n the wind in "Heat":
Cut th e heat-

/ plow through it, / Turning it on eith er side

Use a chart like the one shown to record th e ways in whi ch you engage
your se nses as you read these poe ms.

Vocabulary D evelopment
voluminous (va loom' a nss) adj. of
enough material to fill volumes
(p. 729)

apparition (ap' a rish' an) n. act of

appearing or becom ing visible (p. 734)

dogma (dog' rna) n. author ita tive

doctrines or beliefs (p. 729)
728 Disillusion, Defiance , and Discontent ( 1914- 1946)

Sig ~

I see the crowd,

faces, petals

A Few Don'ts by an

IMAGISTE
I

Ezra Pound

Bac ground
Ezra Pound was one of the leading figures in the Imagist movement.
As the ame suggests, Imagists co ncent rat ed on the fo cused presentation of
images or word-pictures. For example, Pound's original draft of "In a Station
of the fY1etro" consisted of 30 lines. Pound whittled away at the poem until he
arrived lat a work of only 14 words of great pre cision and power. In this essay,
Pound p iscusses his beliefs about what poetry should and sho uld not be.

n "Image" is that which presents an intellectual and emotional

comp lex in an instant of time. I use the term "complex" rather
in the technical sense employed by the newer psychologists, such as
Hart, tHough we might not agree absolutely in our application.
It is fh e presentation of such a "complex" instantaneously which
gives t1~a t sense of sudden liberation ; that sense of freedom from time
limits a nd space limits; that sense of sudden growth, which we expe
rience in the presence of the greatest works of art.
It is etter to present one Image in a lifetime than to produce
volumil{ous works.
All t his , however, some may consider open to debate . The immedi
ate nee ssity is to tabulate A LIST OF DON 'TS for those beginning to
write verses. But I can not put all of them into Mosaic riegative.?
To bdgin with , consider the three rules recorded by Mr. Flint,3 .
not as clogm a- n ever consider anything as dogma-but as the result
of long .on tem p la tton , which, even if it is some one else's contempla
tion , m1y be worth consideration.. . .

voluminous (va 165m' a

nas) adj. of enough
material to fill volumes

dogma (dog' rna) n.

authoritative doctrines
or beliefs

LJGUAGE
Use I 0 superfluous word , no adjective, which does not reveal
I
something.

1. Imagidte French for Imagist .

2. Mosait negative refers to the ten commandments presented by Moses to the
Israelit6s in the Old Testament of the Bible. Many of the commandments are in the
negati Ie and begin with the words "Thou shalt not .. :'
3. the three rules recorded by Mr. Flint English Imagist poet Frank Stuart Flint noted
that I ~ag ist poets adhered to the following three rules or guidelines.
1. Direct treatment of the "thing," whether subjective or objective.
2. To use absolutely no word that did not contribute to the presen tation .
3. As regarding rhythm 10 compose in sequence 01 the musical phrase. nol in
s quence of a metronome.

Reading Check
According to Pound , what
is an image?

A Few Don'ts by an lmagiste

729

Don't use such an expression as "dim lands oj peace." It dulls the

image. It mixes an abstraction with the concrete. It comes from the
writer's not realizing that the natural object is always the adequate
symbol.
Go in fear of abstractions. Don't retell in mediocre verse what has
already been done in good prose. Don't think any intelligent person is
going to be deceived when you try to shirk all the difficulties of the
unspeakably difficult art of good prose by chopping your composition
into line lengths....
Don't imagine that the art of poetry is any simpler than the art of
music, or that you can please the expert before you have spent at
least as much effort on the art of verse as the average piano teacher
spends on the art of music....

RHYTHM AND RHYME

... Don't imagine that a thing will "go" in verse just because it's
too dull to go in prose.
Don't be "viewy"-leave that to the writers of pretty little philo
sophic essays. Don't be descriptive; remember that the painter can
describe a landscape much better than you can. and that he has to
know a deal more about it.

Critical Viewing What key details might be emphasized in

an Imagist poem about this portrait of Ezra Pound? [Synthesize]

730 Disillusion, Defiance , and Discontent (1914-1946)

Literary Analysis
Imagist Poetry W y

is this rule of avoidinq

abstractions consi~tent
with the goals of Imagist
poetry?

Wh en Shakespeare talks of the "Dawn in rus s et mantle clad" h e

I
presen ts s om eth in g which the painter does not present. Ther e is in
this lirie
of his nothing that one can call description; he presents...
j
Donit chop you r stuff into s epara te iambs .4 Don't m ake each line
s top dead at the en d . and then begin every next line with a heave.
Let thci b eginning of the next line catch the rise of the rhythm wave,
unless lyou want a d efinite longish pause.
In s hort. beha ve as a musician, a good musician, wh en d ealing
with t Hat phase of your art wh ic h has exact parallels in music. The
I
sam e laws govern. and you are bound by no others . . ..
A rhyme must have in it some slight elem ent of surprise if it is to
it n eed not be bizarre or cu riou s, but it must be well
give pleasure;
,
used used at a ll. . . .
Don't mess up the perception of one s en s e by trying to define it
in terms of another. This is u suall y only the result of b eing too lazy
to find It he exact word. To this clause there are possibly exceptions.
The Ifirs t three s im p le proscriptions- will throw out nine-tenths of
a ll the bad po etry now accepted as standard a n d classic ; and will
preven you from many a crime of production....

Reading Strategy
Engaging Your Senses
What phys ical sensations
are suggested by th e
rhythmic wave Pound
advocates?

iil

I
I

4. iambs (i' arnbz') n. metrical feet consisting of two syllables, the first unaccented. the
other ;accented.
5. The first three simple proscriptions reference to Flint's three rules outlined in
foolnote #3.

I
Re iew and Assess
Thi I king About the Selection
1. R espond: What is your reaction to Pound's idea s abo ut poetry?
2. a) Recall: What th ree rul es does Pound inv ite readers to
do nsider ? (b) Define: What is the difference between dogma
~ln d the results of "long co n te mplation" ?
c) Speculate: Why did Pound prefer a list of "don'ts" to a list
f "do 's"?
3. a) Recall: What does Pound consider preferable to
abstrac t io ns ? (b) Analyze: Why wo uld th e use of abs trac t ions
I' e offe nsive to an Imagist poe t ?
4. (a ) Recall: Do es Pound co ns ide r S ha kespeare's image an
dxamp le of description or pre se n ta t ion ? (b) Distinguish: H ow
does pre sen tation d iffer from des cri ption ?
I

5. (a ) Recall: What rule does Pound suggest should gov ern th e

rh ythm of a poem ? (b) Interpret: What does a good musi ci an
do tha t a poe t sho uld emula te?
I

6. Ev aluate: Do you th in k foll owing Pound 's "do n' ts" would
make it easier or more difficult to write poetry?
A Few Don 'ts by an lmagiste 731

RiJ~~-Merchant 's W ife:

Ezra Pound

10

While my hair was still cut straight across my forehead

r played about the front gate, pulling flowers.
You came by on bamboo stilts, playing horse,
You walked about my seat, playing with blue plums.
And we went on living in the village of Chokan: I

Two small people , without dislike or suspicion.

At fourteen r m arried My Lord you .

r never laughed, being bashful.

Lowering my head, r looked a t the wall.

Called to, a thousand times, I never looked back.

At fifteen I stopped scowling,

I desired my dust to be mingled with yours

Forever and for ever and forever.

Why should r clim b the lookout?

15

At sixteen you d eparted,

You went into far Ku-to-yen. ? by the river of swirling eddies,
And you h ave been gone five months .
The monkeys m ake sorrowful noise overhead.

1. Chokan (cho' kan') a suburb of Nanking , a city in the People's Republic of China.
2. Ku-to-yen (koo' to' yen' ) an island in the Yangtze (yarjk' 56) River.

732 Disillusion, Defiance, and Discontent ( 1914-1946)

Literary Analys is
I
Imagist Poetry What
details in this sta riza
are most effectivJ in
.
.
I ?
conveyinq an Image.

dragged your feet when you went out.

By the ga te now, the moss is grown , the different mo s ses,
Toolde ep to clear them away!
The leaves fall early this autumn , in wind .
The' paired butterflies are already yellow with August
Ov~r the gra ss in th e West garde n ;
I
They hurt me. I grow older.
If you are com in g down through the narrows of the river Kiang,
YO U'

20

25

Literary Analysis
Imagist Poetry What
details make this stanza
appeal to both the senses
and the emotions?

Please let m e know b eforehand ,

And I will come ou t to meet you
As far as Cho-fu-Sa.f

By Rihaku
3. Cho-fL-Sa (cho' foo' sin a beach along the Yangtze River, several hundred miles
from Nanking.

Reading Check
Who is the speaker in this
poem? Whom does she
address?

:ll
:J

:::;:
"0
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0:;

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u"

r="
o'
ro
"6.

.c

:c
UJ

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:c
o
.j

"

l/)

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.@"

.S;

~"

"Cl.

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t::

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Critical Viewing In what ways does the mood of this d rawing

th ~ mood of "The River-Merchant's Wife: A Letter "? [Analyze]

mirror

A River-Merchant's W ife: A Letter .

733

Ina tation

of the etro

Ezra Pound

The a pparition of these faces in the crowd;

Petals on a wet, black bough.

1. Metro the Paris subway.

Review and Assess

Thinking About the Selections
1. Respond: Of all the images contain ed in the two poems by
Ezra Pound, which did you find the most striking? Why?
2. (a) Recall: In "The River-Merch ant's Wife," how old is the
spea ke r wh en she marrie s? (b) C ompare and Contrast: In
what ways are her fee lings for her husband at age fifteen
different from those when she first marrie s?
3. (a) Recall: What h appens when th e river-merchant's wife is
sixteen ? (b) Analyze: How doe s she feel about thi s cha nge?
4. (a) Recall: In "In a Stat ion of th e Metro," what two things
does Pound co mpare? (b) Interpret: In what ways does thi s
poem capture the essence of a single mom ent?
(c) Analyze: Given the poem's sett ing, why is the image of
"Peta ls on a wet , black bough " surprising?
5. Take a Position: W hat do you like about Pound's poetry?
What do you dislike? Expl ain .

734 Disillusion, Defiance, and Discontent (19 14- 1946)

apparition (ap' a rlsh' an)

n. act of appearing
or becoming visi ~le

The Red

Wheelbarro\N

so much depends

uPin
I

William Carlos Williams

a red wheel
I

baITOW

glJed with rain

water

beside the white

chitkens .

The Great Figure

William Carlos Williams

Among
the rain
I
and lights

I s dw the figure 5

in gold

on a r ed
I
fire ,lruck

moving

tense

unne eded

to gong clangs
siren h owls
and wheels rumbling
through the dark city .

10

Critical Viewing Artist Charles Demuth

created this work of art to accompany his

frie ~d Williams's poem. What elements of

his illustration convey the energy and

I
clamor of the poem? [Connect]

T he Red Wheelbarrow / The Great Figure . 735

JU

TT

William Carlos Williams

I h ave eaten

10

th e plums

t hat were in

the icebox

and which

you were probably

saving

for breakfast

For give me
they were delicious

so sweet

and s o cold

Review and Assess

Thinking About the Selections
1. Respond: Which of the th ree poem s by Williams evo kes th e
strongest emot ion al respo nse in you ? Why?
2 . (a) Classify: In "The Red W heelbarrow," to what senses does

the image appea l most ? (b) Analyze: In what way does thi s

poem reflect the Imagist emphasis on th e co nc rete?

3. (a) R ecall: Which words has Williams divided to run on

two separa te lines? (b) Analyze: What is the effect of this

arrange ment of words?

4. (a) Recall: In "T he Grea t Figure," wha t detail is th e foc us of

the speaker's experience of the fire tru ck ? (b) Interpret: In
focusin g on this detail , wh at might Williams be saying about
beauty an d modern life ?
5. (a) R ecall: What is th e intention of the speaker in "T h is Is
Just to Say"? (b) Connect: Wh ich det ails in the seco nd sta nza
cha llenge the speaker's sinc erity?
6. Evaluate: Which elemen ts of th ese poems reflect Williams's
interest in portraying-and celebrating-everyday A merican life?

736 Disillusion , Defiance, and Discontent (1914- 1946)

PEAR TREE
5

10

Critical Viewing
Which phr ases from the
poem best describe this
image of a pear tree in
full flower ? [Evaluate]

H. D.

Silver dust
lifted from the earth,
higher than my a r m s re a ch ,
you h a ve mounted ,
0 silv er,
hi gher than my arms re ach
you front us with great m ass;
no flow er ever opened
s o stau n ch a white leaf,
no flow er ever parted s ilve r
from s u ch rare s ilve r;

o whit e pear,
15

you r flower -tufts

thick on the branch
bring s u m m er and ripe fruits
in their purple hearts .

Reading Check
What image does the
poet use to describe
the pe a r t re e flowers?

HEAT
H. D.
o wind , rend open the h eat,

cu t a part the h eat,

rend it to tatters .

10

Fruit cannot drop

through this thick a ir
fruit cannot fall in to h eat
that presses up and blunts
the points of pe ars
and round s the grapes .
Cut the h eat
plow through it .
turning it on either side
of your path.
Critical Viewing

Review and Assess

Thinking About the Selections

1. Respond: H ow do these two poems by H . D. make you feel ?

2. (a) Recall: What is the "silver dust" referred to in the first

stanza of "Pea r Tre e" ? (b) Interpret: In wh at sense is the
silver d ust " lifted from th e earth" ?
3. (a) Recall: What do es the pear tree's blossom anticipate ?
(b) Infer: What time of yea r is the speaker describing?

4. (a) Recall: In "H ea t," wha t is the reaction of the fruit to th e

air? (b) Interpret: What spec ific type of heat is the speaker
describing?
5. (a) R ecall: Which verbs do es the speaker use to describe
lessening the he at ? (b) Analyze: What impression of
th e heat do th ese ver bs crea te?
6. Generalize: Based on th ese two poem s, how would you
define th e poet's re latio nsh ip to nature ?
738 Disillusion, Defiance, and Discontent ( 1914-1 946)

Does this painting capture

the oppressive heat of a
humid summe r day as
effectively as the poem
does? Explain . [Evaluate]

s.. . . . . .. ..
Literary Analysis

Quick Review

Imagist Poetry
1. Does "The River-Merchant's Wife: A Letter" qualify as a purely
Imagist poem? Why or why not?
2. What effect does Pound's choice of the word apparition-commonly
used to describe a ghostly figure-to mean "appearance" con
tribute to "In a Station of the Metro"?

Imagist poetry focuses on

evoking emotion and vivid
mental associations
through the presentation
of concise, unadorned
images.

Comparing Literary Works

3. In what ways is Pound's advice to (a) avoid abstractions and
(b) avoid superflu ous words evident in all of these poems ?
4. (a) Use a chart like the one shown to compare and contrast
the use of color in the poems by H . D. and Williams. (b) What
emotions do thes e uses of color evoke ?

foiiiio..,;;,;;:;o==---t. ' 11>1---==

5. Although Pound wrote "the painter can describe a landscape much

better than you can," in what ways are these poems like paintings?
6. Which of th ese poems best exemplifies Pound's idea of the image
as "that which presents an intellectual and emotional complex in
an instant of time"? Explain your choice.

Reading Strategy
Engaging Your Senses
7. What other senses, besides sight, can you engage to re-create
the images of "Petals on a wet, black bough"? Explain .
8. Identify two examples of passages in "The River-Merchant's Wife"
in which you were able to engage the sense of smell.

By engaging your senses,

you can fully experience
the images in poetry.

Extend Understanding
9. Literature Connection: "The River-Merchant's Wife: A Letter"
is an adaptation of a poem by the Chinese poet Li T'a i Po. What
challenges and opportunities face a poet in translating a work of
literature from one language and culture to another ?

Take Itto the Net

www.phschool.com
Take the interactive
self-test online to check
your understanding of
these selections.

The Imagist Poets 739

Vocabulary Development Lesson

Word Analysis: Forms of appear

Concept Development: Synonyms

Several common English words are forms of

the verb appear, meaning "to come into sight or
into being" or "to become understood."

Select the letter of the best synonym, or word

of similar meaning, for the numbered word.

apparent

appearance

apparition

Complete each of the following sentences

with the correct word from the list above.

1. He made a brief
?
at the awards
dinner-just long enough to pick up his
trophy and say a few words.
2. When midnight found the toddlers still
running around the house, it became
?
that the babysitter was no longer
in control.
3. TILe
?
of a face at the window
nearly stopped her heart with fear.

1. dogma: (a) doctrine, (b) legality,

(c) statement
2. voluminous: (a) loud, (b) arrogant,
(c) comprehensive
3. apparition: (a) suspicious, (b) vision,
(c) face

Spelling Strategy
You may need to drop the cl when adding the
prefix ad- to a word or word stem beginning with
the consonants p, g, s, or c. If so, you must also
double the consonant, as in appear. Use this
principle to correctly spell the words below.

1. ad- + gressor

2. ad- + sign

3. ad- + prove

Grammar and Style Lesson

Concrete and Abstract Nouns
Nouns can be classified according to the item
they name. A concrete noun names something
that can be perceived with one or more of the
five senses. Concrete nouns have a physical, tan
gible reality. An abstract noun names something
that cannot be seen, heard, smelled, tasted, or
touched. These may be qualities, characteristics,
emotions, or ideas that are not perceived mainly
through the senses.
Concrete: I played about the front gate,

pulling flowers.

Abstract: Two small people, without clisW<e

or suspicion.

Practice Label the italicized nouns in these

sentences as either concrete or abstract.

1. Don't use such an expression as "dim lands

of peace."
2. The leaves fell early this autumn, in wind.
3. I saw the figure 5 in gold on a red fire truck
moving tense unheeded to gong clangs siren
howls and wheels rumbling through the
dark city.
4. Cut the heat-plow through it ...
5. I have eaten the plums that were in the
icebox and which you were probably
saving for breakfast.
Looking at Style Explain why you would expect
to find mainly concrete nouns in an Imagist poem.

'Jt16 Prentice Hall Writing and Grammar Connection: Chapter 17, Section 1
740 Disillusion, Defiance, and Discontent ( 1914-1946)

Writing Lesson
An Editor's Review of Manuscript
Imagine th at you are a magazine editor who has just received a manuscript from
an Imagist poet. W rite a let ter to the poet exp lain ing why you will or will not pub lish
his or her poems. Be simple, hon est, and kind , and incl ude construct ive criticism.
Prewriting

C hoose 11 poet and reread th e poems. Take notes on the strengths

and weak nesses of eac h poem, citing relevant passages.

Drafting

W rite a let ter th at expla ins why you will or will not pu blish the
poems . Disc uss strengths, and iden t ify flaws. Sel ect specific words
th at best convey your meani ng.

Revising

Review your draft, highlighting any words that are inac curate or
vague. Then, replace those words with bette r, more spec ific choices.

Model: Revising for Brevity and Clarity

deceptively simple
Your poems are small and fl et-~\mpIex., but are rich in imagery

wry
and ideas. I especially enjoyed theiner

Just to Say."

isle-tone of "This Is

Replacing vague
words with specific
words helps to express
ideas exactly.

7t16 Prentice Hall Writing and Grammar Conn ection : Chapter 16, Section 1
Extension Activities
Listening and Speaking Of "T he Red Wheel
barrow," Roy H arvey Pearce writes: "A t its worst
this is togetherness in a chickenyard. At its best
it is an exercise in the crea tion of the poetic out
of th e anti-poetic." Which view do you hold?
Defend your view in an informal debate with
classmates. To prepare, keep th ese tips in mind :
Find exam ples to support both posit ions,
and th en dec ide wh ich you will argue.
Use exa mples for the opposi ng side to
develop arguments agains t that position.
As you debate, be as clea r and as eloquent as
possible. [Group Activity]

Research and Technology Se lec t one of th e

Imagist poems and illu strate it, eith er with art
works of your own or with cl ippin gs or printouts
from magazines, the Internet , and othe r sources.
If possible, create your illustrat ion using graph ic
arts soft ware and integrat e them in a file with the
text of the poe m. Then, post your work in the
classroo m with a brief exp lana tio n of its imagery,
and use it as the basis for an oral interpre ta tio n
or read ing of the poem .

Take It to the Net

www.phschool.com

Go on line for an additional research ac t ivity

usin g the Internet.
The Imagist Poets 741