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Imagist couplet

Form
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

A two-line poem adhering strictly to Imagist principles: precise imagery, economy of language, and direct sensory presentation.

Detailed Definition
Imagist couplet is a two-line unit adhering to Imagist principles: direct presentation of a single vivid image, minimal abstraction, and rhythmic freedom; often unrhymed and concise, it functions as a haiku-like snapshot that implies rather than states—such as H.D.’s “Oread”: “Whirl up, sea— / whirl your pointed pines”—using juxtaposition and sensory immediacy to evoke complex feeling through stark visual economy.
Example
Example in poetry:
Imagist couplet: A two-line unit of sharp imagery: “Petals on a wet, black bough” — Williams’ distilled visual from “The Red Wheelbarrow” adapted into couplet form.
Additional Notes
Two-line Imagist poem. Extreme compression. Related: Imagism, couplet, haiku influence. Study: how brevity serves "direct treatment."
Also Known As
Image couplet Clear picture distich Concrete pair Precise two-line
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