Student Question

What are some characteristics of Imagist poetry? How is Williams' "This is just to say" an Imagist poem?

Quick answer:

Imagist poetry is characterized by direct treatment of objects, concise language, and free verse, focusing on a musical pattern rather than strict meter. Williams' "This is Just to Say" exemplifies Imagism by using simple, conversational language and presenting the plums directly without symbolism. This approach aligns with Imagist principles, focusing on clarity and precision in depicting real objects and moments.

Expert Answers

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The Imagist poets were a group of early twentieth century writers, primarily from the United States and Britain. A defining publication of the movement was the anthology Des Imagistes, published in 1914 and including the work of William Carlos Williams, Amy Lowell, and Ezra Pound, inter alia. The movement's tenets were that one should treat objects directly, avoid excess verbiage, and follow a musical pattern rather than excessively regular meter.

Williams' poem "This is just to say" is one of the most frequently anthologized and taught Imagist works. It follows the conventions of using extremely simple, conversational language and is written in free verse. The plums of the poem are mentioned directly. Although Williams' act of eating them can evoke elements of human relationships, they are real rather than symbolic plums, presented directly rather than symbolically or allusively.

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