Imagine Pound and Shakespeare to be two masters of English Poetry, 500 years
apart.  What was Pound's attitude to Shakespeare? And why? Pound looked at
every other language, used and abused it, but steered clear of English.
Why?  I know there are bits in the later Cantos where he refers to
Shakespeare and Chaucer , but Pound doesn't really tackle Shakespeare or
English. Is it the American heritage ( yes of course it is) Is it because no
one, even Ezra, can compete (my view) ?

Degsey


>From: Leon Surette <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Ezra Pound discussion list of the University of Maine
>  <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Garrick Davis Review
>Date: Mon, 22 May 2000 15:49:02 -0400
>
>Dear Poundians,
>
>     I have read Mr. Davis's "review" of four books which discuss Pound
>poetry and politics. The most recent of these books was published in 1989,
>and the earliest in 1980. It is difficult to understand how his piece
>qualifies as a review.
>     It is, in fact, a diatribe against the entire class of Pound scholars
>masquerading as a review. The four books he selects are not as bad as he
>makes out, nor are they representative of the scholarly discussion of
>Pound's political and racial views.
>     Tim Redman's POUND IN ITALY, the edition of Pound's letters to Olivia
>Agresti I did with Demetres Tryphonopoulos, I CEASE NOT TO YOWL, Alec
>Marsh's MONEY AND MODERNITY, and my new book, POUND IN PURGATORY all offer
>balanced perspectives on Pound's engagement in economics and politics. And
>there are other books which need to be considered as well. The issue is
>complex, and not to be resolved by denunciation and selective citation in
>the manner of Mr. Davis.
>     In fact, Pound's reputation is much higher than Mr. Davis imagines--at
>least in North America and on the continent. It may be true that the
>British
>have scorned and neglected Pound, but there is a strong contingent of
>British scholars who regularly attend the Pound conferences, and even write
>books about him that are respectful and responsible. And, in any case, the
>British are much inclined to scorn and neglect of foreigners. Perhaps Mr.
>Davis was unaware that Wendy Flory was British despite her American
>location. Otherwise he has excepted British scholars who have written on
>Pound with some apologetic attention to his politics from his condemnation.
>     It is difficult to understand what contribution Mr. Davis believes
>himself to be making to the study of Pound's poetry and career.
>
>Leon Surette
>English Dept.
>University of Western Ontario
>London, Ont.
>N6A 3K7

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