Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "The Condolence," Ezra Pound directs his attention toward the absurdities of societal expectations related to gender, particularly masculinity. Unlike many of his other works, which often venture into historical or mythological territory, this poem seems to focus on contemporary cultural attitudes. With irony and satire, Pound skewers the notion that "virility" or "Red Bloods" could be terms of genuine praise or meaningful categories.

The opening line, "O my fellow sufferers, songs of my youth," establishes an ironic distance between the speaker and the societal norms he intends to critique. The term "fellow sufferers" implies a sort of commiseration with other men who may feel trapped by the same stifling definitions of masculinity. He mocks the inflated sense of importance some men derive purely from their "maleness," as if it "lifts us out of the ruck," questioning who could have ever predicted such a ridiculous state of affairs.

The poem goes on to recall a time "under the trees" when men were "in especial bored with male stupidity." This could be read as a yearning for a more idyllic or natural state, free from the tiresome clichés and norms of manhood. The men in the poem are described as "gathering delicate thoughts," served by their "fantastikon," or imagination. The implication seems to be that masculinity, in its truest form, could and should include space for sensitivity, imagination, and delicacy.

In the latter part of the poem, the tone shifts to one of indignation and frustration. Here, the speaker lashes out against the superficial, restrictive judgments imposed on men, likening such attitudes to someone "wandering about announcing his sex / As if he had just discovered it." This is an unflattering comparison, painting the picture of a society that elevates base, animalistic aspects of masculinity while failing to appreciate the more complex, thoughtful facets of human nature.

"We are not exasperated with women, / for the female is ductile," Pound writes, contrasting the perceived adaptability and complexity of femininity with the flatness of societal expectations for men. However, rather than elevating women as inherently superior, it seems that Pound is instead challenging the societal scripts both genders are expected to follow.

The closing lines indicate a return to more important concerns, an appeal to abandon this shallow discourse and to "return to that which concerns us." This appears to be a call to refocus on what is genuinely important, to escape the limitations of reductive labels and categories.

"The Condolence" offers a pointed critique of society's narrow conceptions of gender, particularly masculinity, using irony to expose the triviality and absurdity of such classifications. Pound asks his readers to rise above these societal constructs and engage with the more substantive issues of human existence.

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