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Imagist

Adjective
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Describing poetry characterized by the use of precise, clear, and economical language to present a single image or idea.

Detailed Definition
Imagist refers to a poet associated with the early 20th-century Imagist movement (Pound, H.D., Williams), which championed precise, concrete imagery, free verse, economy of language, and direct treatment of “the thing”; rejecting Victorian abstraction, Imagists sought to present experiences through sharp visual or sensory details—“In a Station of the Metro” being paradigmatic—making the image itself the poem’s emotional and intellectual core.
Example
Example in poetry:
Imagist|Pound's clear, precise image presentation; "In a Station of the Metro" economy; Hard, direct treatment of object; Concrete imagery without abstraction
Additional Notes
Imagist poetry (early 20th century) emphasized direct, precise imagery and free verse, rejecting ornament and abstraction for clarity and vividness.
Also Known As
Image poet Clear picture writer Concrete imagery practitioner Direct presentation poet
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