Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"On the Fly-Leaf of Pound's Cantos" by Basil Bunting offers a reflective and at times irreverent meditation on the Alps, using these majestic mountains as a metaphor to explore themes of immensity, challenge, and the passage of time. The poem also serves as a commentary on the monumental work of Ezra Pound, "The Cantos," to which it is dedicated. Bunting's meditation on the Alps mirrors the complexity and enduring nature of Pound's poetic enterprise, suggesting both its grandeur and its inscrutability.

The poem begins with a rhetorical question, "What is there to say about them?" immediately acknowledging the overwhelming presence of the Alps. This opening sets the tone for a piece that grapples with the challenge of articulating the essence of something so vast and imposing. Bunting describes the Alps as "Fatal glaciers, crags cranks climb," emphasizing their danger and the folly of those who attempt to conquer them. This description parallels the daunting nature of engaging with Pound's "Cantos," a work characterized by its difficult and dense layers of historical and cultural references.

The mention of "jumbled boulder and weed, pasture and boulder, scree," further highlights the chaotic and unordered aspect of the natural landscape, perhaps suggesting the fragmented and eclectic nature of Pound's poetry. The interjection, "et l'on entend, maybe, le refrain joyeux et leger," introduces a note of uncertainty and the possibility of beauty amidst the chaos, implying that within both the Alps and "The Cantos," there exists a harmonious element that can be discerned amidst the complexity.

Bunting's question, "Who knows what the ice will have scraped on the rock it is smoothing?" invites contemplation of the transformative power of time and nature, as well as the potential for discovery within the act of creation. This line metaphorically connects to the idea that Pound's work, like the glaciers shaping the mountains, leaves an indelible mark on the landscape of modern poetry, its full impact perhaps not yet fully understood.

The poem concludes with a resigned yet defiant acknowledgment of the Alps' inescapability: "There they are, you will have to go a long way round / if you want to avoid them." This acceptance of the mountains' imposing presence can be read as an acknowledgment of "The Cantos'" significance in the literary canon—a body of work that cannot be circumvented by those wishing to fully engage with modernist poetry. The final lines, "It takes some getting used to. There are the Alps, / fools! Sit down and wait for them to crumble!" reflect a sense of futility in the face of such monumental challenges, yet also a wry suggestion that patience and time may eventually render the incomprehensible more accessible.

Through "On the Fly-Leaf of Pound's Cantos," Basil Bunting crafts a layered and evocative reflection on the nature of artistic and natural monuments. The poem serves as both an homage to and a critique of the endeavors to capture and convey the essence of the sublime, whether through poetry or the act of exploring the natural world.

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