Ezra Pound is a key figure in the American modernist movement, one of the founders of the current of imperialism in literature. He was engaged in publishing and editorial activities. The world community is also known as an ardent supporter of fascism.
Childhood and youth
The future poet was born in October 1885 in the US state of Idaho. His mother was Isabel Weston, and his father was Homer Pound. Ezra was the only child in this family.
His father served on the Hailey Land Office. Ezra's ancestors came to America in the seventeenth century from England. His paternal grandfather was engaged in logging, had several sawmills, but the business did not bring tangible profits, his grandfather remained bankrupt.
Isabel did not like their life in Haley, and in 1887 she and her son left for New York, from there the family moved to Jenkintown, in Pennsylvania.
After graduating from elementary school, Pound Ezra was assigned to the Military Academy, where he studied Latin, history, and military sciences. A feature of the training was that the uniform for the students was a prototype of the Civil War form.
At the age of thirteen, Ezra first traveled abroad. His mother took him on a tour of Europe.
From the age of eleven, Pound begins to publish some of his written works. And at fifteen he enters the University of Pennsylvania at the Department of the Arts.
There he met Hilda Doolittle, who was the daughter of a professor. Ezra Pound, whose sexual orientation was obvious since he was known as a creepy womanizer, did not go to court in the Doolittle family. However, he still made the girl an offer. But was refused. By the way, not the last in my life.
In 1906, Pound Ezra received a master's degree and defended a dissertation on the work of Lope de Vega. He also won a grant in the amount of five hundred dollars, thanks to which he was able to leave for Europe.
In London
The next twelve years, Pound spent on Foggy Albion, communicating with poets, studying Romance languages and developing his own system of versification. He lectured at a local college on the development of literature in Europe.
In London, Ezra met with William Yates and worked for a while as his secretary. Thanks to his friend, he met at one of the literary salons Dorothy Shakespeare, his future wife. They were married in 1914.
Pound Ezra did not stop publishing, his work was evaluated ambiguously. Someone was fascinated, someone saw the obvious influence of other poets (for example, Walt Whitman).
In 1915, his book Imangenism was published, which is a synthesis of poetry and theory in this area. Imaginism began to attract the attention of critics.
Pound Ezra was also involved in publishing. For example, he contributed to the publication of books by J. Joyce, "Portrait of an Artist in His Youth," T. Eliot, "Love Songs by Alfred Prufrock."
In Paris
In 1920, Ezra and Dorothy decided to move to Paris, which was implemented a few months later.
In Paris, he did a lot of publishing, including making friends with young Hemingway and helping him print.
There he met the American violinist Olga Raj, whose romance lasted almost fifty years. Poor Dorothy suffered all the betrayal of her husband, who practically did not hide from her.
In Italy
In the capital of France, the family did not live long. Dorothy did not like the local climate, and Ezra's health required more sun. Therefore, it was decided to move to Italy.
The Italian period of their life lasted more than twenty years. Ezra’s mistress Olga followed them, and a few months later gave birth to a daughter Mary, whom she gave to the local peasant.
When Dorothy found out about this event, then for several months she did not talk with her husband, and after that she completely went on a trip to Egypt. Probably, it benefited her, because after returning she herself became pregnant and gave birth to a son, Omar.
In Italy, Pound began to seriously work on a large poetic work called Cantos.
In 1933, Ezra met with Mussolini and imbued with his ideas. He even holds a number of lectures at universities. Since 1939, begins to publish anti-Semitic materials in print, speaks on the radio and everywhere propagates the ideas of fascism.
In 1943, in the United States, Pound was sentenced in absentia to arrest for treason. The poet does not react to this news in any way, but continues his propaganda activities. In 1945 he was detained.
Return to the USA
Some time after his arrest, he was transferred from one Italian prison to another; journalists were freely allowed to see him.
On November 15, Pound was transported to America. He was accompanied by medical personnel from a psychiatric hospital, since it was believed that the poet was out of his mind (because of his ideas about changing the economic situation in the world by destroying some of the castes of people).
Ezra was admitted to St. Elizabeth. Dorothy was appointed his official guardian. Thanks to the efforts of Pound's lawyer, he was recognized as insane and allowed to stay in more favorable conditions, with the possibility of visits and walks. So he lived the next twelve years.
In 1949, Pound received a Congressional Award for the "Leaning Cantos", which caused great resonance in literary circles.
During his forced treatment, Ezra Pound, whose quotes no one remembered, was engaged in translations.
Last years
After his release, Ezra returned to Italy, where he lived until his death. He wrote practically nothing, was in the deepest depression. Ezra Pound, whose analysis of creativity can be carried out from different points of view, derogatoryly spoke about his work in recent years.
He died in Venice at eighty-seven years. Buried there.