FREE ESSAY ON EZRA POUND

EZRA POUND

Ezra Pound
Ezra Pound was born in 1885 in Hailey, Idaho. He was considered one of the foremost
American literary figures of the 20th century. Pound's style was unlike any other poet
during this time period. He wrote about ancient and modern history with his personal
reflections and experience. In Pound's poetry he tested many new forms of verses. Pound
influenced young authors such as: James Joyce, T.S. Eliot, Robert Frost, and Ernest
Hemingway. 
When Pound was 15 years old he had already decided that he wanted to be a poet. In 1901
Pound had decided to attend the University of Pennsylvania. After the two years he spent
at the University of Pennsylvania, he transferred to Hamilton College in New York. After
he graduated in 1905, he return to the University of Pennsylvania to attend graduated
school. He finally earned his M.A. degree. Pound then moved to Indiana to teach at Wabash
College. 
Pound decided that the U.S. was no place for poets, so he moved to Venice, Italy. He
published his first of his poetry here. After the publication he was convinced that
London was "the place for poetry." He supported himself by writing and teaching. He also
worked for a couple of American based magazines. 
The damage that was caused by World War I affected the opinion of Pound about the western
world. Pound did not believed in capitalism and he search for a more compatible country
for him. He first move to France and then back to Italy. As he settle into Italy, he
believed that the dictator Benito Mussolini to be the savior of the world from
capitalism. In 1933, he finally met Mussolini. Mussolini loved his work.
When the Allied troops invaded Italy in 1945 near the end of WWII, Pound was imprisoned
for weeks and accused of treason. After he was transferred to a medical tent he wrote a
some poetry describing the prison, its environment, and its inhabitants. These poems were
some of the best poems he has ever written. In 1946 he was taken to Washington D.C. to
tried for treason. He was declared legally insane and the case was dropped. He was sent
to a mental hospital to get help. While in the mental hospital he won a few awards for
his poetry. His case was strongly defended by some prominent poets including some of
students. Pound was released from the hospital in 1958 and return to Italy. In his final
years he stop writing and leaving some of his best work unfinished.