Modernist poetry in the early twentieth century, led by figures such as Ezra Pound and T.E. Hulme, represented a radical break from the sentimentality of the Victorian era. Pound's call to 'make it new' was a demand for precision and clarity, leading to the development of Imagism. This movement emphasized the use of a single, 'hard and dry' image to convey meaning, rejecting the flowery adjectives and rhythmic regularity that characterized nineteenth-century verse. Hulme argued that the romanticism of the previous century was a spent force, and that poetry needed to become more objective and restrained. Critics at the time found this style to be cold and inaccessible, lacking the emotional resonance they expected from poetry. However, proponents argued that by stripping away the ornamental, poets could achieve a more direct and honest connection with the reader. This focus on the economy of language profoundly influenced the next generation of writers, who further explored the possibilities of free verse.