Ezra Pound's Eriugena

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Winner of the Ezra Pound Society Book Prize 2014 Ezra Pound's sustained use of ancient and medieval philosophical sources, particularly those within the Neoplatonic tradition, is well known. Yet the specific influence of the ninth-century theologian Johannes Scottus Eriugena on Pound's poetry and prose has received limited scholarly attention. Pound developed detailed plans to publish a commentary on Eriugena alongside his translations of two of the books of Confucianism, plans that ultimately went unrealised. Drawing on unpublished notes, drafts and manuscripts amongst the Ezra Pound papers held at Yale University, this book investigates the pivotal role of Eriugena in Pound's thought and, perhaps surprisingly, in his deployment of non-Western philosophical traditions.

Reviews

Close reading of Pounds ongoing conversation with Eriugena demonstrates the importance of expanding the parameters of the critical debate. Byrons fluid and engaging prose proves that conscientious and original scholarship of Anglo-American literary modernisms central figure need not be stuffy or turgid. A good resource for Pound enthusiasts as well as specialists. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. -- J. Williamson, Pearl River Community * CHOICE *
Deftly orchestrated, rich in archival discoveries, substantial in its preoccupations (philsophical, theological and aesthetic), and argued with agility and nuance, Mark Byron's understanding of a somewhat neglected figure in the Poundian pantheon is powerfully rewarding. The range of learning here is impressive in its understanding of the Carolingian history from which Eriugena emerges as a figure of controversy. . . A powerful foray into aesthetic and intellectial history. . . One of the best lessons we have for reading the machinations of the poetry. -- Ian F.A. Bell * Journal of American Studies *
[Written] with a honed instinct and what can only be called Herculean labor ... To anyone who has doubted the reach of Pounds Latin or his grasp of philosophical nuance, the evidence Byron presents will come as a revelation. -- Ronald Bush, St. John's College, Oxford, UK * Make It New (periodical of the Ezra Pound Society) *
For any student of Pounds use of Eriugena but also of The Pisan Cantos, this is essential archival material. Byrons commentary is enlightening in discussing the thematic patterns in Pounds notes and in relating them to the poets writings and thoughts ... Byron has done a remarkable job of making sense of Pounds notes, and his edition is invaluable for anyone wanting to delve deeper into Pounds appropriation of Eriugena and its importance to the genesis and development of The Pisan Cantos ... [The] book fills a crucial gap in Pound studies. -- Peter Liebregts, University of Leiden, Belgium * Make It New (periodical of the Ezra Pound Society) *

Author Bio

Mark Byron is Senior Lecturer in Modern British and American Literature at the University of Sydney, Australia. His publications include Samuel Beckett's Endgame (2007), as editor.