Speaking of images in poetry reminds me of the haiku. A traditional Japanese form of extremely short poetry that, if done right, can contain beautiful impressions and express them precisely.
Japanese poetry is not too big on rhyme because it is (as far as I've been told) too easy for the langue. So instead, it uses rhythm and syllable count to challenge itself. In the case of the haiku, it is a three lined poem with the syllable scheme 5-7-5 (note that the syllable count is actually based on a sound unit called "mora", which is similar but not equal to a syllable).
The form has interacted with the West at different times, most notably (to me, at least) with the Beat generation and its (somewhat warped) orientalist mysticism. In fact, Jack Kerouac has a whole book with his own interesting take on them.
Sadly but inevitably, the rhythm is almost always lost in English, but if the translation is good the beauty can be retained, especially because the haiku is more than a form: it is a way of looking at the instant moment and trying to capture it in its purest form. So here are some of my favorite haikus, all by poet Matsuo Basho, one of the four masters of the traditional haiku (the other three are Kobayashi Issa, Masaoka Shiki, and Yosa Buson).
Simple, concrete images, constrained by syllable count and by aesthetic concern of the masters. They might seem too simple, even quaint, but they are are the product of profound appreciation of nature and the seasons.
Finally, some more modern haikus by one of my personal favorites, Natsume Soseki, a modernist Japanese novelist famous for works such as Kokoro and Botchan. He is also famous, however, for his haikus, which offer a play on the traditional form by incorporating more modern concerns:
- On New Year's Day
- I long to meet my parents
- as they were before my birth.
- People of my age -
- with the passing of years
- less impurities to cleanse
- Over the wintry
- forest, winds howl in rage
- with no leaves to blow.
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