This study proposes a neglected poetic genealogy: from Goethe's late poetics of silence (the poet recedes, images stand forth), to Pound's Imagism (the poet presents, not explains), and finally to the tradition of negative space in Eastern poetry. This is not a study of influence but a spiritual genealogy—poets of different eras and cultures converge on the principle of "letting images speak." Through close textual analysis, this paper reveals the internal logic of this genealogy and demonstrates its poetic value. By bringing Goethe, Pound, and Eastern poetic traditions into sustained dialogue, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of the imagistic tradition in Western poetics and redefines the possibilities for cross-cultural poetic exchange. The study argues that the principle of "letting images speak" represents a fundamental insight into the nature of poetic meaning—that the image, presented without explanation, can carry intellectual and emotional force more powerfully than any assertion or commentary. This insight, discovered independently across cultures, offers a model for cross-cultural dialogue that respects difference while seeking common ground.
Bo Xia (Sun,) studied this question.