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EZRA POUND 155
approval. He might die of hunger before obtaining this seal, or
he might live to be quite affluent. When the artist could no longer
take his work to the library of the castle, he found a new development,
the salon, where fellow artists could give him a sort of
recommendation, if they found his work passable.
The fin de siècle saw the last of the great savants' salons, and
cercles, which had degenerated into social clubs when Pound
arrived in London. The future belonged to the artist whose voice
was truly international, and who could speak to the entire world.
Paradoxically, the artist could only do so if he were to remain
true to his roots; that is, if he were "authentic".
Ezra Pound has now been recognized as such a one. I had
said, rather rashly, that Pound was the first really American poet,
and it was with considerable relief that I found this statement
supported by the most brilliant of the younger critics, A. Alvarez,
in his book, Stewards of Excellence. He writes, "But it is Pound,
more than Whitman, Emily Dickinson, or Eliot, who is the first
really American poet." 1
The impact of Pound upon the modern world has been as refreshing
as was the impact of Whitman upon the pre-Raphaelites.
The Cantos are an announcement that the artist has moved into a
new phase, beyond the reach of aristocrats, salons, government
bureaus, or any such agencies. The new artist has a world view
of which he is as much the product as the inventor. He senses
that he encompasses a world, and this inspires him; his is no
longer the traditional role of the artist as sight-seer—a painter
of postcards for tourists, and one who gazes at the world he tries
to depict.
The new artist is a biological part of the entity of art, not one
who merely is rolling balls of clay; he has little in common with
those who wish to go on painting, sculpturing or writing in the
tradition of the past. Technique is more important than ever, but it
is useless unless one realizes where one is. This feeling of being
placed gives the new artist his sense of depth, and once we have
entered his world, we can only regard the work of his predecessors
as historically interesting, albeit important.
Ezra had visited Rapallo several times before moving there in
1924. The year of 1923 was one of indecision and shuttling back