Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Ancora" by Ezra Pound is a lively and somewhat tongue-in-cheek piece that confronts the idea of art-specifically, poetry-as either safe or risqué. The poem addresses the "canzonetti," or little songs, mocking the idea that they could ever be considered "risqué." The speaker, presumably a poet, invokes a sense of indignation and astonishment, wondering how their own work could be seen as inappropriate or controversial. The poem employs both classical and modern motifs to emphasize the timelessness and universality of this artistic dilemma.

The speaker, clearly an experienced poet, discusses composing "albas," which are dawn songs, traditional to troubadour poetry. This poet has ventured "into the four A.M. of the world," implying both literal early morning compositions and a metaphorical sense of being on the edge of a new understanding or revelation. In this dual realm of nature and poetry, the speaker feels closely tied to the raw reality of life-shaking off the morning dew with rabbits and witnessing Artemis, the goddess of wilderness, in the act of dressing herself.

The imagery of "tattered sunlight" and "granite brink in Helicon" brings the reader to the realm of the classical, where the Muses, the goddesses of the arts, reside. These Muses are described in almost irreverent terms, "with delicate shins" and "delectable knee-joints," emphasizing the corporeal, physical nature even of divine inspiration. The poet splashes in the "Castalian spray," referring to the spring on Mount Parnassus that was sacred to the Muses, suggesting that he's been initiated into the secrets of the artistic tradition.

However, it's this very classical tradition that seems to have been misinterpreted or miscategorized as "risqué." The speaker is flabbergasted at the charge, invoking the mountains of Hellas (ancient Greece) and the Muses to share his astonishment. The phrase "Had we ever such an epithet cast upon us!!" underlines the absurdity of mislabeling something so timeless and elevated as risqué.

Pound, in "Ancora," seems to be questioning the arbitrary classifications and judgments that are often imposed on art. While the poem gives nods to classical literary traditions, it simultaneously hints at the potential for such traditions to be misunderstood or miscategorized in contemporary settings. By doing so, the poem asks the reader to reconsider not just the role of the poet in society, but also how society chooses to define what is considered appropriate or risqué in art.

In sum, the poem stands as an impassioned defense of the poetic enterprise against the narrow categorizations or trivial critiques it often faces. It reminds us that the creative endeavor is a deeply human act, one that resists being easily boxed in by societal norms or expectations.

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