Reading further in Terrell's book, the chapter "Divine Mystery," I find
direct answers to my questions about his relationship to Pound's
polyphony and tale of the tribe. In this chapter Terrell's references to
Christ are sometimes related to the larger "process" of being and
consciousness and sometimes related to the experience of the individual
"mystic" (both seem applicable to the final statement in this chapter of
Terrell's personal relationship to Christianity). This makes me unsure
of the Christ references in the earlier chapter, which now explode with
possibilities regarding, for example, Zeus and Christ--for me, a more
productive reading than would be a point for point analogy.
Margaret

>Date:    Sat, 6 Dec 2003 14:58:02 -0800
>From:    Fisher and Hughes <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: Death of Carroll F. Terrell
>
>  My thoughts have been with Kenner and Terrell this past week, and I
>feel keenly the weight of my unexpressed sorrow at learning earlier this
>year of the death of Akiko Miyake. Each approached Pound so differently;
>each allowed us to see the intricate weave of their own thought.
>I have a question about Terrell's method of teaching and one of his
>avenues of approach for introducing the Cantos in his book "Ideas in
>Reaction." Here he offers comparisons to the parables of Christ, refers
>to Pound's use of Zeus as a metaphor for the Christ spirit, and offers
>Paul's letters in the Corinthians as a way of understanding Pound's use
>of the terms God and love. His references regarding religion and gods in
>the "Companion" were informational, his references in "Ideas in
>Reaction" were suggestive. Was the latter a way of helping students
>engage with a book that embraces polytheism, or a reflection of
>Terrell's own reception of the Cantos? Was Terrell a devout Christian?
>If so, what was his relationship to Pound's polytheism?
>And can anyone comment on Pound's relationship to Christianity in his
>last decade(s)? ( I am trying to recall a certain paper I saw in the
>Beinecke Pound collection from Pound's late years and vaguely remember
>that the writing was either marked for, or appeared to be for, a(n
>Easter?) service at one of the churches in Venice. Have others come
>across writing that resembles this description?)
>I do remember Olga's comments about Pound's funeral service in S.
>Giorgio:  from the interior of the church, the large doors were opened
>for the funeral barque, offering those inside the church a direct line
>of vision to the figure of Fortuna atop the customs house across the
>water--Fortuna, who alone of the pagan gods had survived much of
>Christianity. (At Guido's death in Pound's Cavalcanti opera, appears
>Fortuna to conclude the third act).
>Sincerely,
>Margaret Fisher
>
>
>