24 September 2025

Capturing an Image

 

SOURCE

Today we are to write a minimalist, small space poem focusing on a vivid, concrete and specific image that might convey a complex idea or emotion in a single moment. We need a direct language to describe this. It would be perfect if the poem stays within eight lines.

 For this all we have to do is select an image of our choice and present the ‘thing’ itself. While isolating the single image, aim should be at revealing its essence and avoiding any decorative word.

 We might or might not write in the vein of Imagist Poetry.

 A few example poems to share for your inspiration:

 

The Red Wheelbarrow

by William Carlos Williams

 

so much depends

upon

 

a red wheel

barrow

 

glazed with rain

water

 

beside the white

chickens

 

 

In a Station of the Metro

by Ezra Pound

 

The apparition of these faces in the crowd:

Petals on a wet, black bough.

 

Oread

by H.D. (Hilda Doolittle)

 

Whirl up, sea —

Whirl your pointed pines,

Splash your great pines

On our rocks,

Hurl your green over us,

Cover us with your pools of fir.

 

Middle Age

by Amy Powell

 

Like black ice

Scrolled over with unintelligible patterns

By an ignorant skater

Is the dulled surface of my heart

 

 Please share your poem using Mr. Linky below and visit others in the spirit of the community. Please include this link in your post.