January 6, 2014

"With Usura"

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The Court of Gonzaga (detail): Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506), 1465-74, walnut oil on plaster

With usura hath no man a house of good stone
each block cut smooth and well fitting
that design might cover their face,
with usura
hath no man a painted paradise on his church wall
harpes et luthes
or where virgin receiveth message
and halo projects from incision,
with usura
seeth no man Gonzaga his heirs and his concubines
no picture is made to endure nor to live with
but it is made to sell and sell quickly

Ezra Pound, from Canto XLV (1936)

TOM CLARK: "...seeth no man Gonzaga...": Andrea Mantegna: The Court of Gonzaga / Ezra Pound: from Canto XLV

Update: A link worth following as noted in the comments by Mark

aa__usura.jpg

Posted by gerardvanderleun at January 6, 2014 12:33 PM
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"It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood." -- Karl Popper N.B.: Comments are moderated and may not appear immediately. Comments that exceed the obscenity or stupidity limits will be either edited or expunged.

Link worth following. Elucidating comment stream below lengthy perusal of E.P.'s drafts of poem and details of painting. 2 dimensional impressions in my head of poets, artists, writers, human beings, must give way gradually, through exposure to more mature and nuanced insights like those of TC in the comment stream at link. Artists like Pound and Camus lived through much unhappiness, left much detritus in their wake, but always driven in an effort to leave such detritus behind, much like the rest of us schlubs.
Thanks for sharing.

Posted by: mark at January 7, 2014 9:29 AM

Yes. I thought so too. I'll update>

Posted by: vanderleun at January 7, 2014 9:54 AM