On the 2nd and 4th Friday of every month SuperForester Jordan “rediscovers” a literary gem from the vast treasure trove of an art form that, in our technological age, has become largely under-appreciated and “lost”.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But can a few words convey a picture? That is the idea and goal behind Imagism: a movement in modern Poetry that became popular at the beginning of the 20th century; a style pioneered and championed by Ezra Pound.
In a Station of the Metro
The apparition of these faces in the crowd;
Petals on a wet, black bough.
Largely inspired by Eastern poetry such as Haiku, Imagist poems seek to “paint a picture in words”. The fewer the better (the above poem is a double image in 20 words, including the title).
These are simple, precise poems, as subtly powerful as they are a pleasure to read. Two of my favorites come from the American master William Carlos Williams. They’re short enough to merit posting both…
For links to the poems typed out in proper (digital) format click here and here.
If these inspire you, then your creative challenge is to write your own — capturing an image or moment or feeling in as few words as possible. Then post to the comments. I’d love to read and share them! Let’s start the “Live Poets Society”! SuperForest, who’s with me?
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