PatrickMcEvoy-Halston

English434lF0l
ProfessorSusanElderkin
26 September2002

of (an)Image: EzraPound'sexplanationof what an Imageis

In the Presence

EzraPound,in his "Restrospect,"presentsus with a word, Image,which he capitalizes

throughout.An "Ima ge,"apparently,is not an "image,"andsohe explainsto us exactlywhat an

Imageis. While attendingto his explanationwe noticethat,while an Imagehassomethingto do

with words,with poetry--thingswe might think would requireeffort on our part to transforminto

prefersto imagineus asthe Image'spassiveandgratefulattendeeslThe

images--Pound
'opresence"
of an Imageis powerful;it capfuresPound'sattentionasmuchashe claimsit will

ours. Somuch so,that we may not be mistakenif we assumehe is moreinterestedin the nature

of the experiencean Imageprovidesthanwith whatwe ourselvesmakeof this experience.

Accordingto Pound,an Image"presents"an experienceto us. The experienceis givento

us; the Image,apparently,doesnot evokeor involve our own emotionsandintelligence.This

doesnot seemto require(or at leastdoesnot emphasize)

conceptionof transferencerwhich our

activeinvolvementor participationfor its effect,worksto makethe Imageseemmorepowerful

"instantaneous[ly]"felt. Pound
thanit otherwisemight. The Image'sgift-this experience--is

presentation
carefullyspecifiesthat it is the Image'sinstantaneousness of emotionsandintellect

termhe doesnot define,but which hasaboutit a

to us, combinedin what he callsa "complex"-Ya

senseof densityasmuch asintricacy--whichaffectsus.

His term "complex" connotesdensitybecausea singleImagecanmakeus feel

free (ethereal,perhaps),while at
dramaticallychanged.It makesus feel suddenlyunconshained,

the sametime we feel asif we havebecomemoresubstantial.Pounddoesnot saythat Images

actuallymakeus free,or makeus grow; in fact he emphasizes

that Images"give [us a] . . . sense

of"'freedom," and"of suddengrowth." Theymakeus feel as-tfwe werefreeoasif we have

grown--andwe have,but only while in the presenceof the Image.

Imagesareto be kept vivid andpure: they arenot to "dulled" by'lmnaturalnn"mixing."

'korks"; he does
They,idealty,requirea life-time of effort to create:a prolific artist'lroduces"

not presentus with an Imag this senseof the Imageassomethingpreciousandpure,

"lVohups
assomethingwhich cannotbe diluted, or mixed, ffi&y explainwhy Poundmakesthe Imageseem

asif it doesnot requireour own intellectud andemotionalinvolvementandeffort to produceits

efiflect.

Poundexplicitly ties to definethe Imageassomethinggrmd, while implicitly defining

us as somethingso small asto seemalmostunworthyof its presence.But ashe characterizesthe

Imageasproviding fleeting (thoughpowerfirl) feelingsof omnipotence,of being outside"limits"

of time and space,he may haveus looking beyondthe Image's"instant gratification" for a

sourceof gradualandaccumulatinggrourlhand"liberation."

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