Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Mr. Housman's Message," Ezra Pound offers a satirical rendering of the themes and styles commonly found in the work of English poet A.E. Housman. Known for his collection "A Shropshire Lad," Housman often dwelled on the themes of mortality, doomed youth, and the transience of life. Pound's parody captures these elements, but it also magnifies them to a degree of absurdity, rendering the mournful sentiment almost comical.

The poem begins with a lamentation: "O woe, woe, / People are born and die." Here, Pound parodies Housman's preoccupation with the ephemerality of human existence. But while Housman's works often contain an elegiac quality that lends dignity to human suffering, Pound's lines verge on melodrama: "We also shall be dead pretty soon / Therefore let us act as if we were / dead already."

By extending Housman's logic to suggest that we should act as if we're "dead already," Pound is criticizing the excessive pessimism that he finds in Housman's work. He implies that dwelling too much on life's woes can paralyze us, making us emotionally dead even while we're alive.

The bird that "sits on the hawthorn tree / But he dies also, presently" is a nod to the nature motifs in Housman's work. Again, Pound amplifies the gloom, reminding us that not only humans but also animals are doomed to die. The mention of "lads" getting "hung" or "shot" further darkens the atmosphere, emphasizing the cruel and random tragedies that befall people.

The comparison between London and Shropshire-a recurring location in Housman's poems-reflects both poets' personal experiences and criticisms. While Housman glorifies the pastoral landscapes, Pound suggests that such settings are not immune to "nature's morbid grace."

The repeated "Woe! woe, etcetera..." underscores the monotony of constant lamentation. Pound seems to argue that while acknowledging life's hardships is necessary, dwelling on them without end is both tiresome and unproductive.

Pound's poem can thus be seen as a critique of what he perceives as Housman's overindulgence in melancholy and fatalism. The irony lies in the fact that Pound himself was no stranger to brooding themes, especially in his later Cantos. Yet here, he distances himself from an attitude that views life only through the lens of its inevitable end.

"Mr. Housman's Message" serves as a mirror, reflecting both the strengths and limitations of Housman's poetic worldview. It invites us to question whether a focus on mortality should encourage a kind of emotional resignation, as suggested by the parody, or whether it should make us more keenly appreciate the beauty and complexity of life-a question that extends beyond the boundaries of either poet's work.

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