The severity and sympathy of Ezra Pound

July 1, 2015 6:38 AM

As bread owes something to the wheat winnower, etc. So much happening in between. A letter from Ezra Pound to French critic/academic, Rene Taupin.

This author’s new translation, which follows this essay, illuminates the poet’s views on modernism, the general concept of intellectual influence, and other curiosities from his early twentieth-century vie litteraire.

Original letter in French.

posted by GrapeApiary (6 comments total)

THE apparition of these favourites on Metafilter;
Posts on a blue, front page.
posted by Fizz at 7:10 AM on July 1, 2015 [4 favorites]

Very interesting stuff for this old Poundian, thanks! It can be tiring to read Ez's prose, but his insights were remarkable (and of course he practically created modern American poetry).
posted by languagehat at 12:32 PM on July 1, 2015 [1 favorite]

"It can be tiring to read Ez's prose, but his insights were remarkable"

Tiring, like a nap tiring.
Really, insights were remarkable. But yet you like to shame and shit on others who even remotely agree or disagree with this view which is rather pathetic.
posted by clavdivs at 3:12 AM on July 2, 2015

I would downgrade that to typical as opposed to pathetic.

I find nothing new or interesting in this translation, do you? It's impotant to schloarship I guess.
posted by clavdivs at 4:16 AM on July 2, 2015

I liked Spears' essay. I thought he did a good job of parsing Pound's intent.

Pound pointedly disassociates himself from direct French influence, positing instead shared influence from earlier achievements, going all the way back to the ancients.

paraphrased: I'm too hip to dig that French shit. I dig the shit they ripped off.
posted by GrapeApiary at 5:35 AM on July 2, 2015

> But yet you like to shame and shit on others who even remotely agree or disagree with this view which is rather pathetic.

clav, what the hell are you talking about?
posted by languagehat at 11:14 AM on July 2, 2015 [1 favorite]