Comments on: Ezra Pound: Prophet?

By: William Possidente, Sr.

William Possidente, Sr. — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 21:36:17 +0000

For obvious reasons my comment is synoptic. wp

By: William Possidente, Sr.

William Possidente, Sr. — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 21:30:58 +0000

Signore: A. David Moody: (1) Epihenomenon – A phenomenon that occurs with and seems to result from another – Webster’s New Twentieth Century Dictionary, Unabridged. My observations now strongly suggest taking the person , Latin – persona, off the hook, taking the source to physics. Such adaptations as we have accomplished with the “hard” sciences, creating dynamos, aeroplanes, string theory, etc. Regards
P.S. – Malcolm P. MacPherson

By: Malcolm P. MacPherson

Malcolm P. MacPherson — Tue, 04 May 2010 15:24:00 +0000

Great post. I wrote my honours paper on Ezra Pound’s “vorticism” while an undergraduate at SFU. Professor Tom Grieve there taught (as he still does) many courses on Ezra Pound’s poetry and peotics, which I enjoyed very much. Ezra really was a “renaissance man” of sorts. The breadth and depth of his musings, whether it was on poetry or other matters, was impressive to say the least.

Malcolm P. MacPherson

By: Ezra Pound: A Poem, a Radio Broadcast, Quotes, and Further Reading « WHITE SURVIVAL

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:44:51 +0000

[...] – From: http://blog.oup.com/2008/10/ezra-pound/ [...]

By: Zsidozas

Zsidozas — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 08:33:56 +0000

Great post Prof. Moody.

I am a great admirer of Pound’s work and I much enjoyed the first half of your brilliant Pound biography — I cannot wait for the other half.

Pound was indeed prophetic in many respects, as many of his predictions about the dire course which Western culture was taking during the 1930s and the WWII years which followed have since come to pass; and today, regretfully, the world finds itself in even worse and chaotic shape than it was at that time due to similar international financial misdeeds.

In these dark times I am often reminded of Pound’s well-known Canto XLV…”WITH USURA” of course:

With Usura
hath no man a house of good stone
each block cut smooth and well fitting
that design might cover their face,
with usura
hath no man a painted paradise on his church wall
harpes et luz
or where virgin receiveth message
and halo projects from incision,
with usura
seeth no man Gonzaga his heirs and his concubines
no picture is made to endure nor to live with
but it is made to sell and to sell quickly
with usura, sin against nature,
is thy bread ever more of stale rags
is thy bread dry as paper,
with no mountain wheat, no strong flour
with usura the line grows thick
with usura is no clear demarcation
and no man can find site for his dwelling.

Stonecutter is kept from his stone
weaver is kept from his loom
WITH USURA
wool comes not to market
sheep bringeth no gain with usura
Usura is a murrain, usura
blunteth the needle in the maid’s hand
and stoppeth the spinner’s cunning. Pietro Lombardo
came not by usura
Duccio came not by usura
nor Pier della Francesca; Zuan Bellin’ not by usura
nor was ‘La Calunnia’ painted.
Came not by usura Angelico; came not Ambrogio Praedis,
Came no church of cut stone signed: Adamo me fecit.
Not by usura St Trophime
Not by usura Saint Hilaire,
Usura rusteth the chisel
It rusteth the craft and the craftsman
It gnaweth the thread in the loom
None learneth to weave gold in her pattern;
Azure hath a canker by usura; cramoisi is unbroidered
Emerald findeth no Memling
Usura slayeth the child in the womb
It stayeth the young man’s courting
It hath brought palsey to bed, lyeth
between the young bride and her bridegroom
CONTRA NATURA
They have brought whores for Eleusis
Corpses are set to banquet
at behest of usura.