Which earlier poetic traditions influenced Imagism?

Imagism, a movement centered on the work of Ezra Pound and his contemporaries, was shaped by a reaction against the perceived careless thinking and Romantic optimism of the era. Rather than emerging in a vacuum, the movement drew inspiration from several distinct poetic and artistic traditions.12

The primary influences and precursors of Imagism included:

• Symbolism: Imagism functioned as a successor to the French Symbolist movement, though it shifted the focus from an affinity with music to an analogy with sculpture, favoring hard outlines and dry clarity.12
• Ancient Greek lyric poetry: The movement looked to the conciseness and directness found in classical Greek verse.12
• Japanese haiku: The brevity and precise imagery characteristic of haiku were foundational to the Imagist goal of presenting a single, total poetic statement.12

These influences helped the Imagists establish their manifesto, which prioritized the direct treatment of the "thing" and the use of sparse, essential language.12