Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Marvoil," penned by Ezra Pound, opens a window into the yearnings and frustrations of a clerk known as "Arnaut the less." Working for Maitre Jacques Polin, Arnaut's dissatisfaction with his clerical duties has led him to a life of "rambling the South," composing poetry for the Vicomte of Beziers's lady. However, his poetic idyll is shattered when Alfonso, the "half-bald" King of Aragon, begins to show interest in the same lady, creating a love triangle with geopolitical dimensions.

Arnaut's character and life choices stand in stark contrast to the figures of power he describes. While the Vicomte of Beziers and Alfonso are busy with their territorial ambitions, Arnaut seeks emotional and artistic satisfaction. However, this search has led him to a precarious position: detached from work, distanced from his muse due to geopolitical circumstances, and now stuck "in this damn'd inn of Avignon."

The structure of the poem captures this feeling of entrapment and dissatisfaction well. There are no stanzas or regular rhyme schemes to provide order or closure; the poem reads more like a diary entry or a confessional letter, mirroring Arnaut's unstructured life and conflicted emotions. His lament is public yet private, shouted into the wind yet whispered "in thy breast here."

The wall's "hole" serves as an unusual but significant symbol. Arnaut makes the hole his "jongleur," his storyteller. He fills it with a parchment that tells his story, just as he wishes his love would fill his empty heart. The wind that blows through the hole is like the voice he doesn't have-mournful, persistent, and unattended.

The phrase "Mihi pergamena deest," which translates roughly to "for me, the parchment is lacking," signifies both a literal and a metaphorical scarcity. On one level, it points to the absence of material on which to write his story, his art. On another, it echoes the emotional and spiritual dearth that he experiences. His life lacks fulfillment, like an unfinished poem that desperately needs its closing lines.

There's an intense emotional economy at play here. While Alfonso and the Vicomte are occupied with politics and war, Arnaut measures wealth in terms of emotional and poetic fulfillment. His will and testament, too, are not material but emotional-"Vers and canzone to the Countess of Beziers / In return for the first kiss she gave me."

By presenting Arnaut's story, Pound explores themes of artistic struggle, emotional void, and the inevitable intersections of personal desire with larger socio-political forces. Despite its specific setting and characters, "Marvoil" resonates on a universal level, highlighting the perennial struggle between personal passion and the harsh realities of life in a broader context.

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