The Collected Poems of Ezra Pound.
(Boni & Live-Right.)
Back in 1912 Harriet Monroe, then just launching her now famous poetry magazine, introduced Ezra Pound to that very small portion of the American public that is interested in experimental verse. Miss Monroe’s enthusiasm amused those who could not determine what Mr. Pound was trying to communicate. Some were of the opinion that if Mr. Pound’s product was poetry, then there had certainly never been any poetry until he arrived. Others saw or professed to find profound signifycance in his product. No less a man than Ford Madox Ford has stated that Mr Pound is “the greatest living poet” though he has not revealed the means by which such a judgment may be rendered with confidence.
Here we have 230 generous pages of Mr. Pound’s work done into a beautiful book that is good to hold in the hand. One who has spent a great share of his life with the mighty poets of the world feels in contemplating this volume, much as a hungry child might feel in looking through the plate glass window of a delicatessen shop. The display looks like a fine feast, and it may be so; but how to get at it?
It may be that Mr. Pound is right and all the great poets of the past have been wrong. That would be an encouraging indication of progress indeed. But it seems only fair that we, who hunger greatly for divine poesy, should not be let into the necessary secret of appreciation.
