The Well-Educated Mind Poetry: Ezra Pound

Ezra Pound

1885-1972

American (ex-patriot) poet

Modernist

The Well-Educated Mind Poetry

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I finished my suggested list of poetry by Ezra Pound a few weeks ago. Pound, founder of the Imaginist movement, is considered one of the greater influences in poetry. I think I understand why -- because he was unique and creative and pushed the boundaries of technique and sphere. But he is also one of the more difficult to read, and that I have to agree. Often I was lost in comprehension. Some of his poems were amusing because he translated ancient poetry or integrated history and classic fables, resulting in an original style and unique work. Overall, however, I was lukewarm over these poems because they were beyond my comprehension.

 Pound was an American ex-pat, spending most of his time in Europe. He was a known Fascist and supported Mussolini. Gee, I wonder if he would have supported Trump, too, being that he's a "Fascist."

 Just kidding! Just kidding.

Trump is NO Fascist. 

Pound returned to the U.S. in 1945, and was arrested for treason, but was acquitted and entered a mental hospital on grounds that he was unstable. He died in 1972.

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Following are the suggested poems to read for The Well-Educated Mind poetry by Ezra Pound and the reviews I wrote on GoodReads respectfully. (A few I did not review for a loss of words.):

Canto One

Canto Two

Exile's Letter

In a Station of the Metro

Mauberly

The Return

The River-Merchant's Wife

The Sea-Farer

Sestina: Altafort

The White Stag

THE REVIEWS:

CANTO I & II

The first two poems from TWEM for Ezra Pound are Cantos I & II. The Cantos was a huge project that took 50+ years to write, and was unfinished when Pound died. It was beyond 600 pages.

Canto I was a unique translation of a part of The Odyssey. Pound jumps right into what feels like the middle of retelling. Only later do you get hints that you are on board Odysseus' ship heading home after the Trojan War. So if you are a fan of The Odyssey, you will appreciate and enjoy Canto I.

Canto II, I thought would be a continuation of Canto I, but nope! It goes in a significantly different direction. The style is experimental, like a collage, contrasting social and historical allusions and blending Greek mythology with modern ideas.

I enjoyed Canto I more so because I am familiar with The Odyssey than any of the cultural references in Canto II. And again, Canto II was in that experimental style that William Carlos Williams wrote in, of which I was not so fond.

EXILE'S LETTER

Exile's Letter is a translation of a poem by Chinese poet, Li Po. The theme is about separation or parting.

Some declare that Pound's translation is either influenced by a Japanese translation of the Chinese, or it's just a really bad English translation. Who knows!? But it certainly is a sentimental, lovely at times, and true poem, I thought. The letter is from one friend to another, reminiscent of the memories they shared when their paths did cross.

Here is a snippet:

And once again we met, later, at the South Bridge head.
And then the crowd broke up—you went north to San palace.
And if you ask how I regret that parting?
It is like the flowers falling at spring’s end,
confused, whirled in a tangle.
What is the use of talking! And there is no end of talking—
There is no end of things in the heart.

THE RETURN

I had to read this poem four times. It uses the gods of old to demonstrate how the strength of power is fleeting. The gods of old have been forgotten. And because they are forgotten over time, they have lost their power.

The gods return "uncertain, wavering." But once they "WERE inviolable."

The God's return with dogs. "These WERE the swift to harry..."

What does that even mean??? When I tried to Google it, all I got was stuff about Taylor Swift and Harry Styles. But finally, an explanation: it could mean "quick to fight."

But the dogs and the gods who walk them are
"Slow on the leash,
pallid the leash-men!"

Weak are the once powerful gods.

This could be a message to men in authority whose power is only given to them by the people who are bewitched by them. Or I read this could also be in reference to the Christian God because Pound was adverse to "organized religion," which is the same as saying he was indifferent to his Creator. It's an excuse to live according to one's own will.

THE RIVER-MERCHANT'S WIFE

This is another interpreted poem by Pound: Chinese poet Li Bai.

The voice is a young woman whose husband must go away on business, and the theme again is separation and parting.

The poet reminisces about the beginning of her relationship with her husband, when they met in innocent childhood -- two very young children who had no prejudice feelings about anything. They played at childish things and grew up together. Sort of.

Though still very young, they marry. The narrator admits to being shy at first, but soon grows out of it. Becoming so enamored and connected, she desires and imagines their ashes being mixed together at death, so that they shall always be together.

But now she waits for his return (it has already been five months) while he is away (on business). Even the monkeys make a "sorrowful noise" and the vegetation is overgrown. She longs for his message that he is coming home; so eager is she that she will go out to meet him the moment he sends word.

IN A STATION OF A METRO

 Thank goodness there is a title.

Apparently, this takes place in a metro station, or subway, where I come from. The poet first tells us of an "apparition of these faces in a crowd:" and then his second line is, "Petals on a wet, black bough." That's it.

An apparition is a ghost-like vision of a person. Are the people that he supposedly sees in the metro station going to and from work and home, and wear that typical blank stare that they appear ghost like? Is it something he is imagining as they move swiftly through the station? Whatever it is, he thinks the vision reminds him of petals on a wet, black tree branch. OK. Is that like, after a storm? Are the petals disheveled? Do the faces seem the same? Why are the petals on a wet branch? I cannot imagine.

Ezra, as his friend William Carlos Williams, was an imaginist. And he liked to be very, very simple and plain with his words, which is great for me, but I think this is too plain for me. I need more clues than two lines minus verbs.

Anyone else? LOL!

THE SEAFARER

I love anything about sea exploration or travel -- particularly bc I would never do it myself. I'd rather live through others who dare.

This is a translation of an Anglo Saxon poem about the treacherous, often miserable life of a seafarer. This is life on the dangerous sea, the frigid temperatures, and the loneliness, away from family, friends, and safety on land.

Halfway through the poem, it reverts into a spiritual / religious journey, comparing the seafarer's sufferings / pleasures of life on the sea. He contemplates life after death, which I suppose one would think about death a lot at sea. I would.

WHITE STAG

I really like this poem. I've read it in the past. But again, it's too short, leaving me wanting more.

The White Stag symbolizes FAME and those who pursue it stalk it like a white hart (in heat). Makes sense.

But they will find that it is fleeting.

And I do not understand this final line:
"Bid the world's hounds come to horn."

I am trying to make sense of it. A horn has to do with the animal's horn,
and the world's hounds are those who seek FAME. But I just can't figure out the horn part. WHY???

Does anyone understand this last line?

portrait Ezra Pound by Elviria Black [source]

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