Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Homage to Sextus Propertius: 2," Ezra Pound continues his exploration of the blurred boundaries between the ancient and the modern, the esteemed and the ordinary, and the public and the private. The poem is a rich tableau that reflects on the scope and limitations of art, particularly poetry, in capturing the essence of historical events and personal experiences.

The opening stanza offers an image of the speaker, presumably Propertius as channeled by Pound, lounging "on cushioned Helicon," a mountain traditionally associated with the Muses. He speaks of the "water dripping from Bellerophon's horse," linking his poetic inspiration to mythological sources. The stanza is dense with cultural history, emphasizing the speaker's connection to a long line of poets and the timeless nature of their craft.

Propertius, through Pound, acknowledges that he has sung of the weighty affairs of state, battles, and heroes, akin to the epic tradition. Yet, he is interrupted by Phoebus (Apollo, the god of poetry), who admonishes him, stating that his calling lies elsewhere. Apollo's message is clear: "Soft fields must be worn by small wheels," underscoring that not all poets are meant for grand epics. Instead, Propertius' work is destined to be intimate, consumed in private moments where "a girl waits alone for her lover."

The metaphor of the "small wheels" and "soft fields" is telling. It marks the delineation between two kinds of art: one monumental and collective, the other intimate and personal. This is an especially potent reflection for Pound himself, who, across his career, struggled with these differing impulses, sometimes seeking to encapsulate the breadth of human culture in a single work, as in "The Cantos," and other times focusing on the minute particulars of emotion or image.

Later, Calliope, one of the Muses, confirms Apollo's proclamation, declaring that the poet will never be celebrated in "classic horns" or known in battle. Instead, he is the master of a different domain: the domestic, the emotional, and the intimate. His "images" are not of great heroes or epic battles, but rather of "crowned lovers at unknown doors," and "night dogs." Thus, Calliope, too, channels Pound's sentiments on the scope and spectrum of poetic endeavor.

The poem also navigates the tension between high and low culture, a recurrent theme in Pound's work. The images of "Orgies of vintages" and "an earthen image of Silenus" contrast with the epic traditions of Homer or Virgil. Yet these so-called 'lower' forms are presented as valid, perhaps even more genuine experiences. In aligning himself with them, the speaker, and by extension Pound, seems to be making a statement on the democratizing power of art, which can elevate the mundane to the monumental.

What is fascinating in "Homage to Sextus Propertius: 2" is the self-awareness and meta-commentary about the role of the poet. The poem itself becomes a venue for interrogating the purpose, scope, and impact of poetry, encapsulating both the speaker's and Pound's contemplation on their place in the literary tradition. Through this interrogation, Pound asserts the value of the 'small wheels,' advocating for the significance of the intimate and the personal within the broader landscape of poetic achievement.

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