Ezra Pound: Principles of Imagism and Literary Theory

Poetry According to Ezra Pound

It is clear that the essence of poetry remains constant; what changes is the form poets assign to it. We must move beyond historical criteria.

Pound argues that neither time nor cultural factors should influence the consideration of poetry. His perspective on literature is universal and cosmopolitan, effectively dismantling national frontiers. He utilizes the concept of Weltliteratur—universal literature unconstrained by cultural or temporal boundaries. For Pound, literature is categorized solely as either good or bad. While language barriers present a challenge, he believed that skilled translation could resolve this issue.

Ezra Pound's Literary Theory

Pound asserted that a poem must be precise regarding its subject matter. He advocated for clear language that avoids obscuring the presentation, standing firmly against abstraction.

• Rejection of Rhetoric: He rejected superfluous verbal rhetoric, viewing it as the death of poetry.
• Conciseness: Poems should be brief; if one word suffices, do not use two.
• Musicality: He favored interesting, varied rhythms over monotonous, metrical regularity.

These tenets form the foundation of Imagism.

Defining the Image

For Pound, an image is that which presents an intellectual and emotional complex in an instant of time. This definition contains four components, three of which are explicit:

1. Presentation

To "present" means to show a thing directly. While language is inherently representational, Pound argued that poetry should be direct, precise, specific, and concrete, avoiding pompous or abstract language that buries the subject.

2. Intellectual and Emotional Complex

Pound believed an image must reflect the duality of the human experience—both rational and irrational. A true image requires a combination of both; one is meaningless without the other.

3. An Instant of Time

The perception of a true image should be instantaneous—a flash, like a bullet or being struck by lightning.

Three-Part Classification of Poetry

Melopoeia

Poetry based on music. Pound stated: "Wherein the words are charged, over and above their plain meaning, with some musical property, which directs the bearing or trend of that meaning." He maintained that poets uninterested in music are, or become, bad poets.

Phanopoeia

The "casting of images upon the visual imagination." This is poetry based on images (Imagism).

Logopoeia

"The dance of the intellect among words." This is poetry based on the intellectual properties of language.