Student Scholarship
Document Type
Research Paper
Abstract
This honors project explores the historical, theoretical, and practical relationship between the Anglo-American Imagist movement and the Japanese haiku. The author argues that while Imagism existed as a formal movement for less than a decade, its core principles regarding the image and objectivity significantly shaped modern poetry.
The study begins by tracing the origins of Imagism to T. E. Hulme, who provided the foundational theory of "new classicism" characterized by dry, hard, and accurate description. Ezra Pound later organized the movement, promoting principles such as direct treatment of the subject and the use of precise language. Simultaneously, the author outlines the evolution of haiku from the linked verse form known as renga and the later haikai, which emphasized commonness and liberation from conventional poetic rules.
A central focus of the comparison is the philosophy of Matsuo Bashō, whose concepts of sabi, shiori, and hosomi represent a state of mind assimilated into the laws of nature. The author notes that while both Imagists and haiku poets strive for objectivity and the presentation of an exact image, their approaches differ. Imagists often employ an intellectual approach, creating images to communicate specific ideas, whereas haiku poets utilize a spiritual approach where the image is a natural product of a mind refined through aesthetic discipline.
Ultimately, the document concludes that Imagism served as an influential ideal for modern poets, encouraging the use of fresh imagery and concentration. However, haiku remains a more enduring popular literature in Japan because it demands the continuous training of the inner self to perceive universal truths within simple, natural facts.
Research Highlights
The Problem: Early 20th-century Imagist poets in England and America frequently cited Japanese Haiku (Hokku) as a primary influence, yet their theoretical writings and poetic practice suggest a lack of full comprehension regarding the form's authentic spiritual and technical roots.
The Method: This 1953 honors project compares Imagist and Haiku theories through an analysis of historical movements (1908–1917), 17th-century Japanese poetic evolution (Bashō, Renga, and Tanka), and a side-by-side evaluation of poems by T.E. Hulme, Ezra Pound, Amy Lowell, H.D., and Richard Aldington against traditional Japanese works.
Qualitative Finding: Imagists successfully adopted the "hard and clear" objective image and the principle of concentration, yet often failed to achieve the authentic Japanese mood because they approached imagery through "surface intellect" rather than the spiritual self-training of fuga, sabi, and hosomi; H.D. is identified as the only Imagist whose work consistently reflects the impersonal, universalized emotion characteristic of great Haiku.
Finding: While Imagism as a formal movement was short-lived (less than ten years), its emphasis on the exact image, absolute rhythm, and the "dry hardness" of classical description established the foundational ideals of modern 20th-century poetry.
Publication Date
5-1953
Recommended Citation
Takaki, Michiko, "Imagist Poetry in Twentieth Century England and America Compared with the Japanese Haiku" (1953). Student Scholarship. 148.
https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/student-research-papers/148
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Faculty Sponsor
Archive