PS in anticipation Yes, I know, a centipede isn't an insect, but you get the idea... RE >From: Richard Edwards <[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: Re: More on Ants & Centaurs >Date: Mon, 4 Sep 2000 17:20:04 GMT > >Thanks to all the participants in this discussion for one of the most >stimulating "threads" in a long time. I wish I'd been around to read all of >the posts as they came in, instead of having to skim them somewhat on my >return from holiday. > >I think the ant in Canto 81 is part of the menagerie of small creatures >(including mme la vespa et al) with whom Pound passed his time in the open >air at Pisa. When under attack, the ant rears up its thorax and forelegs, >thus resembling a centaur; the "dragons" are the ant's larger adversaries >in >the insect world (beetles, centipedes and so on). "Centaur" and "dragon" >are >primarily visual images which "scale up" the lilliputian conflict, as in >one >of those natural history films of which public service broadcasters are so >fond. > >Paradoxically, the effect of this scaling up is to scale down the drama of >human aspirations and disasters; we are led to understand that when viewed >on the cosmic scale our own lives are as small as the ant's life appears to >be when viewed on the human scale. Pound's lesson in humility involves >appreciating both the significance of things which we habitually regard as >insignificant (ants, wasps, etc), and the insignificance of thing we have >learnt to regard as significant (ourselves). > >Though ostensibly addressed to the obscure dress-designer Paquin, no-one >supposes that Paquin is the interlocutor really intended by Pound. I think >the choice of this highly oblique procedure supports the view that the >lines >involve self-reproach and are not merely another harangue against the world >at large, excluding Pound himself. Pound typically adopts oblique >procedures >when criticising himself, eg by lapsing into French (j'ai eu pitie des >autres | probablement pas assez, and at moments that suited my own >convenience). > >So, like Tim Romano, I'd tend not to put too much emphasis on the possible >symbolic meanings of "ant" and "centaur", interesting and thought-provoking >though these are. > >Richard Edwards >_________________________________________________________________________ >Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. > >Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at >http://profiles.msn.com. _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at http://profiles.msn.com.