"I love the way "academic" is still used as a catch-all pejorative."
 
You know what? I really do love it in certain ways. Considering that
these discussion lists are to address Ezra Pound who had little or no
tolerance for contemporary academia, considering that we've been
discussing Basil Bunting (who said "there is no excuse for literary
criticsm"), a healthy suspicion of academia seems only in order. Since
most of us are, in one regard or another, academics, suspicion of this
suspicion should also be appropriate.
*However* I have to tell you that the material on this list for the last
few months has given me no cause to disagree with Pound or Bunting's
statements. It seems there have been infinite queries regarding
secondary material, obscure biographical facts, etc.. etc....
AND LITTLE OR NOTHING ABOUT THE CANTOS!!!!!!!
Of course some of the gossip's interesting. And secondary material is
not only valuable but necessary ( vide Makin, Kenner, Davie, et al), but
the brilliance of that secondary material is that it *HELPS WITH THE
POEM*....
I will propose three topics of conversation *On The Cantos*, which I
hope that even those annoyed by this message might respond to. Should
this poemaphobia continue, should we continue to act like nervous
teenagers hemming and hawing at the sideline of the dance-floor, I shall
cancel my subscription to the list, shut of this damn box and get back
to READING THE CANTOS. In good internet will, however, I should say that
I hope I don't have to.
 
Topics
 
1. The relation between the tradition of English Common Law (Coke, Magna
Charta mentioned in the Pisan Cantos, etc) and The American Revolution
in the Cantos. Davie thinks its bosh, that Pound falls prey to the trap
of Whig history. Agree or disagree?
 
2. Nicolo D'Este as factive (anti-factive) character, in opposition or
apposition to the way Pound presents Sigusmundo. How does D'Este's mad
speech and hallucinations( see Cantos 20 and 21) prefigure later events
in the Cantos. Anyone hear it echoing in the Pisan Cantos or afterwards?
 
and
 
3. (A non Cantos question!) What do we think of the *tone* of Pound's
Propertius. I think everyone agrees by now on the importance of this
winning poem, but Robert Lowell for instance said that while he loved
POund's poem, he hears Pr.'s voice as a graver, proto-Christian
sufferer. Is the parallel between early 20th century Britain and
decadence Rome as forced as Davie thinks the one between 17th c. England
and 18th century America is?....
 
Ok, there we go. I apologize for taking up extra space, but hope these
very basic questions might make the list more interesting for those of
us who do enjoy poetry.
 
Peter Campion