Leon Surette wrote:

>     Tim Redman--who has been writing a biography of Pound for several years
> now, and the author of POUND IN ITALY--posted the opinion about a year ago
> that Pound suffered from bipolar disorder--aka manic-depression.
>     I don't think that diagnosis is very persuasive. From what I know about
> the disorder, the depressive phase is as inescapable as the manic phase, and
> Pound seems to have been manic more often than not in his later years.

This is not quite decisive. It is true that *most* bipolar patients suffer from
depression more frequently and for longer periods than they do from
manic periods. Some, in fact, do not discover that they are bipolar until
medication for depression triggers a manic phase. But it is *also* true
that manic stages are far more visible to associates than is depression,
and friends, even family, will not necessarily recognize the symptoms of
depression. Also depression is often but not always incompatible with
considerable activity and with positive accomplishments. (Conrad, for
example, suffered seriously from depression.)

Depression can also leads to bursts of anger which (to bystanders) might
more easily fit the popular associations with "manic" behavior, and
while a major form of manic depression takes the form of extreme
elation and unrealistic optimism. Finally, it seems like many years
ago I read a statement from Pound (Interview with Hall in the
Paris Review??) something like, "I did not choose silence, silence
chose me" (in explanation for his withdrawal in his final years??)

Carrol



> John
> Tytell, a psychiatrist, came up with a different diagnosis in SOLITARY
> VOLCANO some years ago, but I have forgotten just what it was. Pound
> certainly did suffer from a neurological disorder in his last years, but
> that is not the period of most interest for this question. Tytell worked for
> a time at St. Elizabeth' and had access to hospital files on Pound during
> his stay there.
>
> Leon Surette
> English Dept.
> University of Western Ontario
> London, Ont.
> N6A 3K7