What term describes poetry that uses precise images formed by words?

• A. Symbolism
• B. Imagism
• C. Romanticism
• D. Modernism

Answer: (B)

Precise, concrete imagery created directly by language is what this item is testing. Imagism is the movement that centers on presenting clear, exact pictures through economical, plain diction and often in a single moment or image. It champions a direct treatment of the subject, letting the words themselves form sharp, tangible pictures without ornate or decorative language. That focus on clarity of image is what makes Imagism the best fit here.

Symbolism tends to lean on symbolic associations and a musical quality, allowing meaning to be suggested rather than shown in exact detail. Romanticism emphasizes intense emotion, individual feeling, and grand, sweeping nature, not the insistence on precise, concrete image. Modernism covers a wide range of experimental approaches, but the specific emphasis on crisp, word-formed images points to Imagism rather than the broader Modernist movement.