"Canto XIII - Canto 13" by Ezra Pound (poetry reading)

Kung is Confucius who presents an ideal social order based on ethical principles "good is right" rather than on political realism "might is right". You notice that present day society - particularly in dealings between nations - works on the basis of political realism with only the pretence of ethical principles. The rich and the powerful have the best weapons. the best lawyers and can withstand deprivation the longest, so they manage to win. There's a good exposition of the kung-fu philiosophy of government here:
http://www.friesian.com/confuci.htm

One of the sayings I like best - although it's really Taoism, but Kung could easily have said it too - "The wise man does everything while appearing to do nothing" We all take too much action. Often the best thing to do is nothing.

You can read more about Ezra Pound's cantos and radical ideas here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cantos

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[defaultedloan]

At around 3:30, you repeat "a day when the historians left blanks in their writings." This isn't in the original canto; it's an error from when the canto was transcribed onto the internet. It's not in the original volume nor in any printed collection.

[SpokenVerse]

Thanks, that clears up the confusion in my mind. I was bothered by it - but I looked at a few versions on the web and they were all the same. The poem was requested by a subscriber.

Ezra Pound in "How to Read" describes three elements, "melopoeia," "phanopoeia," and "logopoeia" corresponding to music, image and intellect. I like him best when he's most melopoeiac. I tried to read the rest of his huge volume of work but found the going too hard and the rewards too small.

[thallassocracy]

For some reason the lines:

Without character you will

be unable to play on that instrument

always pop into my head whenever I watch 'The X Factor'.

I really can't think why ...

[SpokenVerse]

You're almost psychic. Less than an hour ago i made a very similar remark to somebody else who read this poem.

[rancy000]

spokenverse, I always enjoy your reading voice immensely. I was wondering if you'd perhaps be willing to also read Pound's "Canto I" or "Canto CXVI"?

[mrwrecks13]

The last three lines of this canto have, in a paraphrasing of Dickinson, blown my head clean off. Much respect to Master Ezra.

[eldarwen213]

gracias!!!!

[scifiwritir]

Wow, the canto has the feel of Hebraic (Biblical) Poetry. All those "ands" especially. Never realized the effect of that on Pound. But then KJV has affected so many English poets.