Ezra Pound Essay, Research Paper

Parts IV and V of the first section of Hugh Selwyn Mauberley. How Pound simultaneously writing an anti-war poem and a tribute those killed in the First World War.

“These fought in any case and some believing pro domo, in any case” (Pound). Implies that the young men in WWI fought believing in the right thing to do for the country. Taking up arms against the enemy was showing support for your fellow countrymen. The portion of the poem that they were quick to arm, for adventure, fear of weakness, then he shifts to fear of censure and learning to love the slaughter. This clearly shows the conflict between anti-war and a tribute to the young men that took up arms to support the country.

Died some pro patria, (for ones country) non dulce, (not sweetly), non et d?cor (not gloriously), walked eye deep in hell believing in old men’s lies, then unbelieving. (Pound) He tells of the young men going to war, believing in the stories of the men that came before them. How war was patriotic and fighting and dying was glorious and sweet. Once placed in the situation the truth was that dying for ones country was not as sweet and glorious as the stories of those who came before them and then when the war was over they went home without fanfare. He also shows in the poem that the young men were daring, young blooded with fair cheeks and fine bodies in the same phrase he indicates that what a wastage of fine young men dying for the cause. The stories of the battle in the trenches as told in the old days as exciting and exhilarating were to be quite the opposite. There was hysteria and trench confessions as never told in the old days. Additionally he discusses there died a myriad and the best among them, and then indicates that WWI was a botched civilization, was it worth the cost or all for not.