Ezra Pound’s (Post)Modern Poetics and Politics: Logocentrism, Language, and Truth

Ezra Pound, the poet called the contemporary of our grandchildren, has exercised enormous influence on the development of American poetry and criticism. This impact on the world of letters is only grudgingly acknowledged today, since it comes from a poet tainted by fascism and anti-Semitism. This book follows the contours of our love for his poetics and hate for his politics, juxtaposing Pound’s work to postmodern theory. The contrasts prevail: in the relation of language to reality, in the moral and political commitments, and in the vision of history. At the same time, Pound’s poetic practices, particularly his collage techniques and series of Englishes, overflowed his political ideology. It is this overflow that makes him so fascinating to intellectuals and the main reason we study his work with respect now.