9. Ezra Pound

Modern Poetry (ENGL 310) with Langdon Hammer

The lecture introduces the poetry of Ezra Pound. Tensions in Pound's personality and career are considered, particularly in terms of his relationships with other poets and his fascism and anti-capitalism. The poem "The Seafarer" is examined as a quintessentially Poundian project in its treatment and translation of poetic forms. The first Canto of his epic project, The Cantos, is analyzed as a meditation on the process of expressing and engaging with history and literary tradition.

00:00 - Chapter 1. Introduction: Ezra Pound
18:50 - Chapter 2. Ezra Pound Poem: "The Seafarer"
31:13 - Chapter 3. Ezra Pound Poem: "The Cantos"

Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website: http://oyc.yale.edu

This course was recorded in Spring 2007.