Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Notes for Canto 117 et seq." is a poem by Ezra Pound that seems fragmentary, yet deeply imbued with a meditative melancholy and a sweeping sense of history, mythology, and personal introspection. It is written in a style akin to Pound's Cantos, a long, incomplete series that delves into numerous subjects, drawing from various historical periods and cultural perspectives. This particular piece reads like a series of fragments or thoughts that evoke various themes-from personal love and loss to larger philosophical and existential questions.

One line, "For the blue flash and the moments, Benedetta the young for the old," immediately signals a tone of nostalgia and tragedy. The juxtaposition of the young for the old is a recurring trope in literature that often signifies sacrifice, loss, or the cruel passage of time. The use of the word "tragedy" only accentuates this sentiment. But then the text moves on to talk about "one beautiful day there was peace," offering a glimmer of hope or tranquility amidst what can be assumed is a chaotic backdrop.

The poem also touches upon art and architecture with "Brancusi's bird" and "some great colonnade," suggesting that human creations-be they art, architecture, or writing-attempt to encapsulate ideas of beauty, peace, or the sublime, even if these attempts are ultimately ephemeral or flawed. This idea is resonant in the lines, "I have tried to write Paradise," as well as in, "Let those I love try to forgive What I have made." These lines are not just an admission of the limits of art, but also perhaps a confession of the poet's limitations in his personal life and relationships.

The question, "M'amour, m'amour what do I love where are you? That I lost my centre fighting the world," is haunting in its raw vulnerability. It resonates with anyone who has ever felt the hollowness of personal loss or the disorientation that can come from ceaseless struggle or conflict. This sense of loss is extended metaphorically through the images of shattered dreams and an attempted "paradiso terrestre," or Earthly Paradise, which could imply both a personal and a more global, historical utopia.

The final lines introduce animals as guides, "Two mice and a moth," evoking a world in which the humble and the ordinary become beacons of some sort. These lines are emblematic of a search for guidance in a world that appears devoid of it. The lines could also be interpreted as a search for a different kind of wisdom, a natural wisdom perhaps, which contrasts with the knowledge or understanding that has led men to be "destroyers" rather than nurturers of the Earth.

Pound's poem, in all its fragmentary glory, mirrors the complexities and contradictions of human experience. It oscillates between the personal and the universal, between the past and the present, and between peace and chaos. It attempts to grapple with large existential questions without providing clear answers. It acknowledges the limitations of human endeavor-be it art, love, or utopian dreams-while also hinting at a sublime beauty that makes the struggle worth it. In its disjointedness, the poem captures the fragmented reality of human experience, offering a glimpse into the conflicting emotions, ideas, and visions that make us irrevocably human.

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