Ezra Pound Reads

Ezra Pound Reading His Poetry #2

by Ezra Pound

Ezra Pound's inspirational sway over twentieth century poetry remains unquestioned to this day. Ezra Pound Reads offers a rare opportunity to witness the vision of this awe-inspiring, intensely polemical artist.

The Cantos were Pound's most ambitious poetic project. He began writing this series of poems in 1913 and continued to work on them until his death. These complex and lyrical incantations explore the writer's disappointment in the imperfections of man. his hatred of war and commercialism, and his ongoing interest in economic concerns.

Pound's ideas and searing vision are beautifully showcased in this audio, portions of which were recorded at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington, D.C, where, Pound was as held after lie was accused of treason, but judged not to be of sound mind to stand trial.

Genres: Poetry

Audio Cassette

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Ezra Weston Loomis Pound was an American expatriate poet, critic and intellectual who was a major figure of the Modernist movement in early-to-mid 20th century poetry.

Pound's The Cantos contains music and bears a title that could be translated as The Songs—although it never is. Pound's ear was tuned to the motz et sons of troubadour poetry where, as musicologist John Stevens has noted, "melody and poem existed in a state of the closest symbiosis, obeying the same laws and striving in their different media for the same sound-ideal - armonia."

In his essays, Pound wrote of rhythm as "the hardest quality of a man's style to counterfeit." He challenged young poets to train their ear with translation work to learn how the choice of words and the movement of the words combined. But having translated texts from 10 different languages into English, Pound found that translation did not always serve the poetry: "The grand bogies for young men who want really to learn strophe writing are Catullus and François Villon. I personally have been reduced to setting them to music as I cannot translate them." While he habitually wrote out verse rhythms as musical lines, Pound did not set his own poetry to music.

Reviews

[Deanna Bounds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deep and profound impact. I have to admit… although I’ve read a great deal of poetry over the years, I struggle with relating and understanding. Until I found Ezra Pound in my 30’s. His writings and poetry spoke directly to my soul.

[Ahenobarbus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inimitable, melodic, strident readings from Old Ez himself. No matter what you think on first listen, you won't forget this man's voice or his vigor. I bought my copy at least 14 years ago and carried these cadences with me, reverently, from high school into my early twenties. What poems I can recite by heart I learned from this tape. Although I haven't a suitable player now -- & these recordings can be found digitally -- this tape still lives among the shifting stacks on my desk.

When I hear contemporary poets read their work in weary monotone, I snarl & think of these recordings: give me Pound's Yeatsian, trilling, billygoat quality any damn day!