Imagist Poetry: An Anthology: Pound, Lawrence, Joyce, Stevens and others

by Bob Blaisdell (Editor)

Over 180 well-chosen Imagist gems appear in this tribute to the 20th century poetic movement that stressed precise language and individual rhythmic style. This definitive collection includes short verse published between 1913 and 1922 by Ezra Pound, D. H. Lawrence, H. D. (Hilda Doolittle), James Joyce, Wallace Stevens, William Carlos Williams, and many others.

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Anthologies

176 pages, Paperback

First published May 14, 1999

About the author

Bob Blaisdell is a published adapter, author, editor, and an illustrator of children's books and young adult books. He teaches English in Brooklyn at Kingsborough Community College. He is a reviewer for the San Francisco Chronicle and Christian Science Monitor and the editor of more than three dozen anthologies for Dover Publications. Email him at Robert.Blaisdell@Kingsborough.edu

Reviews

[Aiden Schierlman · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've never read a good poetry book
yet I decided I'd take a quick look

I have liked the sounds of rhyming
yet the book has trouble finding
any patterns of the sort

The book gives no connection
between each and every section
and they're all quite short

While I've never been a poetry man
if I have to be honest, than
I'll let you know that this collection
needs correction
and fixes of plot, style, and relevance with itself

Its poems lack support for each other
a mess that doesn't always connect
like the poem I'm writing
it just doesn't make sense
nor connect
nor look or sound right
or provide justification

It's just there to be there

The story line of this book is non-existent as well as a genuine plot. This book wasn't meant to be read in order, it's a book that you can open to a random page and read a poem or two to see if that's what you needed at that point in time, and I hate it. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, no matter how much they enjoy poetry. The poems would jump all over the place, from Epigram, a short about Greek gods, to The Pool, a very small poem about catching fish. A theme to connect everything would make it much better, I can't stress that enough, so if you want a book of poetry, look for something else.

[If you know you know · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imagist Poetry: An Anthology: edited by Bob Blaisdell, is a collection of various poems that are all meant to evoke an image of a setting into the reader's mind. For the most part this is successful, as many of the slightly longer poems, and most of the short ones do create a wonderful image. However, for the most part I did dislike this book. To be honest it could just be me, I've never been a poetry person. A specific dislike that I had though was the lack of connection, it just transitions from one author to another. This lack of transition from each image to another sometimes threw my mind a little bit in-between different author's writing style. In light of this I only recommend this book for poetry enthusiasts, with a 3 out of 5 stars overall.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the best books from the Dover Thrift Editions series that I have read. For a US $3.50 cover price, this little volume provides remarkably thorough coverage of the early twentieth-century Imagist poetry movement, most widely associated with the American poet Ezra Pound.

The revelation for me as a reader is that the big names included in this anthology (Pound, James Joyce, D.H. Lawrence, and William Carlos Williams) contribute the least interesting work. The real standout poets from these pages are Richard Aldington and H.D. (Hilda Doolittle). Perhaps the fact that those two were married had something to do with the respective quality of their work, but in any case, their poems shine out from these pages brightly enough to make the journey well worth the while.

[Steve Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book of poems I acquired for myself at the age of sixteen or so (very much at random), and it's still a favorite. It introduced me to Wallace Stevens and D. H. Lawrence, two I now can't live without; but it also contains lots of really wonderful poets that I haven't found elsewhere, like Richard Aldington and F. S. Flint.

Here's a sample from Aldington (who was married to the much-more-well-known "H.D."):

I know you, poplar;
I have watched you since I was ten.
But if you had a little real love,
A little strength,
You would leave your nonchalant idle lovers
And go walking down the white road
Behind the waggoners.

There are beautiful beeches down beyond the hill.
Will you always stand there shivering?


Isn't that delightful? Lots of hidden treasures to be discovered in this little volume.

[Soumitro Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one book that shaped my poetry to a better level. It taught me to observe things more minutely. Like zooming in and zooming out more smoothly. The principle of Imagist (as described in introducing this book) tells: 1. Treat the subject directly 2. Use as few adjectives as possible. 3. Hardness of form as that of a cut stone 4. Individuality of rhythm 5. Use of exact words.
If we follow these principles wisely, we can write better and clear poems.

[Sean]

I'm never really sure what imagism is. Like, I get the definition, but when you read this, it doesn't really match the description.

Anyway, some personal standouts:
"The Embankment," T. E. Hulme ('cause I often have to think about old people falling these days)
"The Garret," Ezra Pound
"Further Instructions," Pound

And I liked re-reading Wallace Stevens' "Metaphors of Magnifico." Liking some Pound poems was surprising--I thought of him as impenetrably learned.

[Dylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hate to say it, but my high school poetry teacher was right: essential reading for modern American poetry and poetry in general. Do not skip.

[Amy in the Desert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice anthology, but i thought i would like them more than i did. Sometimes, finding out what you don't like is as valuable as finding out what you do.

[sabine · Rating 2 out of 5]

bro why were they all so horny and also bad at writing. wallace stevens ur the only bitch i respect. ok maybe william carlos williams.

[Nathan Nicolau · Rating 4 out of 5]

The imagists are some of my favorite poets. This anthology hits the mark at condensing what made them so great. Each poem is succinct yet packed will emotion in each word. There was a bit too much Lawrence for my taste, however.

[robin friedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Evocative Introduction To Modernity

In a brief, accessible, and inexpensive book, Bob Blaisdell and Dover Thrift have created a fine selection of poems from the "Imagist" movement which changed the direction of American and English poetry in the early 20th Century. The precise nature of "Imagism" has been much discussed. Some of the more famous, succinct forumlations of its creed were "Not ideas of the thing but the thing itself." and, simply, "make it new". Imagism wanted to turn away from late 19th Century poetry with what the new writers perceived as its sometimes stilted diction, involuted syntax, forced rhymes, and forced sentiment and return to the object, to a way of seeing things freshly through precise speech. In Bob Blaisdell's brief introduction to this book, he discusses the principles of Imagism as Richard Aldington, the first poet to appear in the collection, formulated them: 1.Direct treatment of the subject; 2.As few adjectives as possible; 3. A hardness as of cut stone; 4. Individuality of rhythm; 5. A whole lot of dont's; 6. The exact word.

W.C. Williams's poem "To a Solitary Disciple" (page 137 of the collection) offers a good poetic summation of imagist practice. It begins:

"Rather notice, mon cher,
that the moon is
tilted above
the point of the steeple
than that its color
is shell-pink.
Rather observe
that it is early morning
than that the sky
is smooth
as a turquoise"

The collection includes 180 poems by 17 poets. The selections were culled from the pages of the "little magazines" of poetry that presented works of the new movement between 1913 and 1922. The poets receiving the most space are, understandably enough, D.H. Lawrence, Ezra Pound, Wallace Stevens, and W.C. Williams.

It will be a joy to a reader coming to these poets for the first time. The book also includes many lesser known but important writers such as Richard Aldington, H.D. Amy Lowell, and others. Thus the book, short and accessible as it is, does not constitute simply a collection of favorites. Rather it is an introduction to imagism and to the spirit of our modern age including both well-known and lesser-known figures.

This book can be enjoyed and savored simply for what it is -- an inexpensive collection of many of the poems illustrating the modernist temprament. As such, the book will offer many hours of reading and rereading. Equally important, the book could also serve as an introduction for those who want to learn more, to explore further the development of American or English poetry in the Twentieth Century.

Robin Friedman

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strong collection of many poets whose work fits into the "imagism" category including Ezra Pound, Amy Lowell, and Wallace Stevens. We all have our favorites and our less-than-favorites. My only quibble with this collection is that it's organized alphabetically by the poets' last names, which seems an odd choice (versus organizing it chronologically.) Other than that, if you're into imagism, it's worth picking up.

[Molly Moran · Rating 3 out of 5]

As many other reviewers have pointed out, this might be a disappointing read for anyone who is drawn to imagism specifically for its down-to-earth quality. I felt that the collection was burdened with excessive classical references and some surprisingly clunky language. Still, there are a lot of gems in here!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this collection a bit disappointing as I was expecting more poems that were tighter and more "haiku-like." Many of the poems seemed bloated and lavish and maybe not the best work from these extraordinary poets.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

such a new style of prfound poetry for their time -- this group of imagists invented a new way of writing.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

found a new poet to read Ford Madox Hueffer. also, considering what he became, i'm dissappointed in how much i like ezra pound.

[Bar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice sampler. I discovered a few "new" poets who piqued my interest

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting shorter, tighter, poems than much of what was here, but it was still enjoyable. I can see myself dipping into this every now and then.

[Locyan · Rating 4 out of 5]

most are pretty rubbish dudes getting all sentimental and lame but crapsey and noguichi are cool. ezra pounds barely scrapes in with labile Greek stuff

[Matt Morris]

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