imagistici

Imagistici is a term used in Italian literary criticism to describe works or tendencies that resemble imagism, a modernist movement focused on clear, concrete visual imagery and economical language. The adjective imagistici derives from imagismo and the Italian suffix -ici, and it is applied to poetry and, less commonly, to prose that foregrounds image over extended narrative or abstraction.

Origin and usage: Imagism emerged in the English-speaking world in the early 20th century, with manifestos and poets such as Ezra Pound, H. D., and others advocating precise, direct presentation of subjects through sharp, tangible images. Italian critics began using imagistici to discuss translations, adaptations, and Italian writings influenced by imagist principles, particularly in the interwar period when modernist debates were intense. The term is primarily descriptive and analytical rather than designating a formal, named Italian movement.

Characteristics: Imagistici works emphasize concrete sensory imagery, linguistic economy, and precision. They tend to present moments or scenes directly, with minimal rhetorical flourishes, and may employ free verse, brisk syntax, and image-to-image juxtaposition. Ambiguity, when present, often arises from the relationships between images rather than from allegorical or allegorical overload.

Reception and legacy: As a cross-cultural lens, imagistici identifies a subset of modernist poetry and prose that prioritizes image. In Italian criticism, the term is used mainly in scholarly discussions or in describing translations of Imagist theory, rather than as the label for a distinct, autonomous Italian movement.