Tim, I appreciate your thoughts. Brennen >From: Tim Romano <[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: Pound the poet >Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 14:49:32 -0500 > >Brennen wrote: > >> The problem with Pound is that if >>one doesn't share his extensive classical education, then one cannot fully >>grasp his images without referring to other texts. The meaning is not >>fully >>contained in the poems. > >True enough, but is it appropriate to call this a "problem with Pound"? >Couldn't it just as easily be described as a problem with education? > > >>Therefore I go back to my central question: To what extent did Ezra Pound >>write in the "language of common speech," [...] Also: How can one get to >>images when the poem >>refers to so many other works other than itself? Is Pound's poetry "hard >>and >>clear?" > > >The allusions occur in poems that ARE written "in the language of common >speech." The allusions and the diction are separate 'issues' or 'problems' >if you want to call them that. The use of foreign languages does not mean >that Pound's language is muddy or that his lines lack a "hard edge". >Compare these two poems; each has what might be called an oriental theme; >the first talks of pagodas and Chinese geese, the second of sennins. >Which of the two strikes you as being closer to spoken language? Which of >the two has the greater clarity? > >#1 >Bells of gray crystal >Break on each bough-- >The swans' breath will mist all >The cold airs now. >Like tall pagodas >Two people go, >Trail their long codas >Of talk through the snow. >Lonely are these >And lonely and I .... >The clouds, gray Chinese geese >Sleek through the sky. > >#2 >The red and green kingfishers flash between the orchids and clover, >One bird casts its gleam on another. > >Green vines hang through the high forest, >They weave a whole roof to the mountain, >The lone man sits with shut speech, >He purrs and pats the clear strings. >He throws his heart up through the sky, >He bites through the flower pistil and brings up a fine fountain. >The red-pine-tree god looks at him and wonders. >He rides through the purple smoke to visit the sennin, >He takes "Floating Hill" by the sleeve, >He claps his hand on the back of the great water sennin. > >But you, you damn'd crowd of gnats, >Can you even tell the age of a turtle? _________________________________________________________________ Add photos to your e-mail with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail