Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Ezra Pound's "Piere Vidal Old" offers a profound character study of Piere Vidal, a figure from Provence's literary past who is both an embodiment of potent love and a living relic of the "great dead days." The poem reflects on the passage of time, love's extremities, and the contrasting elements of human existence. Told from Vidal's perspective, it serves as a lens through which to view themes of ephemeral beauty, relentless passion, and inevitable decay.

The narrator, Piere Vidal, finds himself suspended between two worlds: the invincible days of his past and his current state of "rotten sadness." The vivid portrayal of his young self as "swift as the king wolf" and "strong" paints a picture of a man in his prime. His entire being is akin to a force of nature, unstoppable and deeply in tune with the world around him. This stands in stark contrast to the latter years where he feels "shriveled as an old oak's trunk," laden with the weight of the world's mockery.

The object of his affection, Loba of Penautier, remains equally enigmatic and intense. Described as "white as some tomb" and as captivating as nature itself, Loba is both life and death to him. Their union is depicted as an almost mystical, transformative experience: "Hot is such love and silent, Silent as fate is, and as strong until / It faints in taking and in giving all." This contrasts sharply with the Vidal who later bemoans his current state, unable to find the same ecstasy and vigor in the later stages of his life.

But what truly elevates this poem is its engagement with the concept of time. There is a tragic sense that the "red sun mocks" the protagonist's sadness. The "great dead days" of his past seem unreachable, fixed in a realm beyond the one he currently inhabits. This, in essence, is the greatest tragedy of all: not that he lived a life of such extremities, but that such a life is a relic, a tale of the past that can only be lived in recollection.

Moreover, the poem speaks to the broader human condition: the passage from the days of youthful exuberance to those of aged introspection. It speaks to a universal sense of longing for a time when every action was intense, every feeling was acute, and every love was the love of a lifetime. Vidal may decry the "O Age gone lax!" and deride the "stunted followers," but his disdain serves more as a lament for his past self than as an indictment of a less passionate generation.

The poem concludes with Vidal sniffing the air and stating, "Ha! this scent is hot!" This moment suggests a temporary reconnection with his past self, hinting that the intensity he once lived with still lurks beneath the surface, as volatile as ever. But this also serves as a poignant reminder: the scent is but a fleeting echo of a life and a love that can never be regained.

Pound has crafted a multifaceted character in Piere Vidal, a man simultaneously pitiable and admirable. Through his life's tapestry of profound love and inevitable decay, we are compelled to consider the ephemeral nature of our own lives, loves, and follies. It's a potent reminder that, for better or worse, we are the sum total of our choices, experiences, and the relentless passage of time.

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