1. What do these poems have in common. What’s going on
What do these poems have in common? What’s going on? On a piece of paper, I want you to free write on the personal effect of these poems. Ready?

2. The apparition of these faces in the crowd; Petals on a wet, black bough.

3. so much depends upon a red wheel barrow glazed with rain water beside the white chickens.

4. I have eaten the plums that were in the icebox and which you were probably saving for breakfast Forgive me they were delicious so sweet and so cold

5. Among the rain and lights I saw the figure in gold on a red fire truck moving tense unheeded to gong clangs siren howls and wheels rumbling through the dark city.

6. What do Imagist poems have in common?
Word pictures
The essence of an object, person or incident
No explanations
Freezes a single moment in time
Captures emotions of the moment
Language of everyday speech
Juxtaposition (placing objects near one another to support a thematic contrast)

7. IMAGISM
Direct treatment of “the thing” whether subjective or objective
To use absolutely no word that does not contribute to the presentation
Influenced by traditional Chinese and Japanese poetry such as haiku or tanka, which evokes emotion through image
Imagist movement was short, lasting only until about 1918

8. Write your own Imagist poem
Present a distinct image with sensory language
Contain concise, precisely chosen language
Write in free verse
Display a sense of rhythm through repetition, cataloguing, parallelism, or sound devices (alliteration, consonance, assonance)

9. Sample Poem: Lament Play with me. But still in braids
I am your childhood.
Shelved, I sit here—
Still your sentinel,
Your guard against the dark—
And smile,
Because I was painted that way
And because you’re safe.
I may not have changed as much
As you—
The grape juice stain
On my blue-checked dress
Never went away—
But my bright red hair
Is lighter now,
Dulled by disuse and dust,
But still in braids
You plaited
(The last time
you held me)
To practice a needed skill
Rather than play.
You used to carry me everywhere.
You carry worry now,
And disappointment,
But sometimes joy.
I was made to banish worry
To vanquish fear.
I was made for wonder.
Pick me up again.
Play with me.
I am your childhood.

10. Sample Poem: Noticing Details
I watched him paint,
With careful, meticulous strokes,
The tiny figurines—
Once grey warriors,
Now green and snarling with battle-lust,
Breathing with life in his rough hands—
And I found another reason for love.