The Impact of Chinese Classic Poetry on Imagist Poetry

At the outset of the twentieth century, some poets in Great Britain and the United States put forward the conception of Imagism and wrote poems according to the concept. They advocated describing things through clear precise and concentrated images, use of language of common speech and rhythms. Chinese classic poetry has exerted impacts on Imagism in terms of both philosophic thought and image-creating. This paper, starting from discussion of the general influence of Oriental culture upon Western culture, reveals the impact of Chinese classic poetry on Imagist poetry by illustrating the connections between Imagist poets and Chinese classic poetry and by pointing out the similarities between Imagist poetry and Chinese classic poetry.