I've thought of doing so, but, as you say, it's really a tough poem. It
would fit into the idea, however. Thanks for the suggestion!
Cordially,
Tim
-----Original Message-----
From: - Ezra Pound discussion list of the University of Maine
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Dirk Johnson
Sent: Monday, January 06, 2003 10:54 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: American studies
Tim - that sounds to me like an excellent idea. Of course, if you want
to make the Cantos seem easy and clear, you could give them Sordello.
Tim Redman wrote:
>I teach Pound in our required junior-level "Western Literary Tradition"
>course here at the University of Texas at Dallas. The students read The
>Odyssey, The Aeneid, The Metamorphoses, and The Inferno. Then they read
the
>first thirty Cantos. The Cantos are still formidable, but they make a lot
>more sense when seen as a continuation of an epic tradition.
>
>The only change I'm contemplating to that syllabus is taking out Virgil
>(since the mini-Aeneid is in Ovid) and adding something by Browning --
>perhaps Men and Women.
>
>Cheers!
>
>Tim Redman
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: - Ezra Pound discussion list of the University of Maine
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Dirk Johnson
>Sent: Friday, January 03, 2003 12:10 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: American studies
>
>
>Sounds like a good plan, Charles -- I think you've really got something
>there. I only introduce Pound to people after a lengthy screening
>process. But, yes, it works sometimes.
>
>charles moyer wrote:
>
>
>
>>Here, Here or is it Hear, Hear?
>>
>> "But in Ealing
>>With the most bank-clerkly of Englishmen?"
>>
>>And the question here of teaching Pound to undergraduates may be best
>>answered by maintaining the tradition as it has been with the poison label
>>on his works. Nothing excites the imagination more than labeling something
>>dangerous or forbidden. And imagine kids -poetry that can get you high!
>>After all as it has been pointed out by a recent National Geographic study
>>only one in seven (14%) of American youths from 18 to 24 (draft age) could
>>find Iraq on a world map. How many do you think could find Pound in a
>>library?
>> Ah, "the triumph of the superficiality and the apotheosis of the raw"
>>-William James (American pragmatist)
>> Dirk, Do you really introduce men and women to Pound? I found him to to
>>be a real conversation stopper long ago. But I'm going to try something
>>
>>
>new.
>
>
>>Upon hearing anything which remotely sounds like American Studies I am
>>
>>
>going
>
>
>>to casually say, "You know Ezra Pound, the poet, possibly could shed some
>>light on that subject, but the government has forbidden his books and
>>
>>
>burned
>
>
>>all of them they could find." Well, OK, it wouldn't be exactly true, but
>>these are dire times, and we must use drastic methods if American Studies
>>are to survive. You know they hate us because we are "free", not because
we
>>are stupid. Gore Vidal watch out.
>>
>>-Moyer
>>
>>"'They were only war casualties,' he said. 'It was a pity, but you can't
>>always hit your target. Anyway, they died in the right cause.'
>> 'Would you have said the same if it had been your old nurse with her
>>blueberry pie?'
>> He ignored my facile point. 'In a way you could say they died for
>>democracy,' he said."
>> -from Graham Greene's "The Quiet American"
>>
>>
>>----------
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
--
Dirk Johnson
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