Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Ezra Pound’s “Yeux Glauques” (Glaucous Eyes), the sixth section of Hugh Selwyn Mauberley, presents a sharp critique of late Victorian aesthetics and morality. Written in Pound’s characteristically compact and allusive style, the poem juxtaposes the decay of cultural values with the commodification of beauty and art. Through its fragmented imagery and subtle ironies, “Yeux Glauques” becomes a meditation on the erosion of integrity in both society and art, reflecting the broader themes of disillusionment that pervade Hugh Selwyn Mauberley.

The poem opens with a nostalgic glance at a time when Gladstone, a symbol of Victorian moral seriousness, was still "respected." This line sets a tone of decline, contrasting the dignity of earlier public figures with the degraded cultural milieu Pound critiques. Ruskin, who sought to elevate public taste and moral values through art, is name-checked alongside "Kings’ Treasuries," his famous lecture that promoted the moral and spiritual value of literature. Yet even in this ostensibly noble cultural landscape, Swinburne and Rossetti—figures of the Pre-Raphaelite movement—were “still abused.” This sets up a paradox: while some sought to enrich cultural life, others faced scorn, and this division hints at the instability of the era?s moral and aesthetic judgments.

The focus shifts abruptly to "Fœtid Buchanan," likely Robert Buchanan, a critic known for his attacks on Swinburne and Rossetti. Buchanan’s denunciations, particularly of Rossetti’s Jenny, reveal the Victorian unease with themes of sensuality and moral ambiguity in art. Pound’s use of "fœtid" implies his disdain for Buchanan’s moralizing, suggesting that such criticisms were themselves corrupt and reductive.

The poem’s central image, “that faun’s head of hers,” refers to Jane Morris, the muse of Rossetti and Burne-Jones, and more broadly to the archetypal Pre-Raphaelite woman. Her features—particularly her "thin, clear gaze"—become a fixation for painters and adulterers alike, reducing her to an object of aesthetic and carnal obsession. This dual commodification of beauty and personhood reflects Pound’s critique of how Victorian society commodified both women and art. The "Burne-Jones cartons" that preserve her eyes embody this tension between preservation and objectification, as her likeness is immortalized, but only in a way that sustains her exploitation.

Pound situates these images within the cultural framework of the Tate Gallery, where Burne-Jones’s works were displayed. Here, the myth of King Cophetua, a tale of a king who falls in love with a beggar maid, becomes emblematic of an idealized yet exploitative vision of beauty and virtue. The "thin like brook-water" gaze further underscores the ethereal yet passive quality imposed upon the muse, stripping her of agency and grounding her allure in an unattainable, fragile ideal.

The mention of “The English Rubaiyat” as "still-born" signals another failure of the Victorian era: the inability to adapt or appreciate the cultural richness of other traditions. Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat, translated by Edward FitzGerald, enjoyed immense popularity, but Pound dismisses its English iteration as lifeless and derivative. This critique parallels his disdain for the Victorian aesthetic, which he saw as sentimental and hollow.

The poem concludes with an evocative reflection on "poor Jenny’s case," a direct reference to Rossetti’s Jenny, a poem that examines the inner life of a prostitute. Jenny becomes emblematic of a society that tolerates hypocrisy and exploitation without surprise or outrage. The final lines capture a sense of desolation and moral decay: the muse, bewildered and passive, observes the indifference of a world that has normalized betrayal and corruption. The phrase “her last maquero’s / Adulteries” emphasizes this degradation, using the Spanish word for pimp to underscore the exploitative dynamics at play.

Stylistically, “Yeux Glauques” exemplifies Pound’s mastery of compressed, allusive language. The poem relies on cultural references and fragmented images to evoke a world that is both beautiful and corrupted. The allusions to Pre-Raphaelite art, Victorian literature, and societal norms are layered and complex, requiring readers to engage with the broader cultural context to grasp the full implications of the text. The title itself, with its emphasis on the muse’s glaucous eyes, encapsulates the central theme: the reduction of human identity to a symbol, stripped of depth and vitality.

In “Yeux Glauques”, Pound critiques the commodification of art and the moral hypocrisy of Victorian society, portraying a world where beauty is both celebrated and degraded. The poem mourns the loss of sincerity and vitality in art, presenting a vision of cultural decline that resonates with the broader concerns of Hugh Selwyn Mauberley. Through its rich allusions and fragmented structure, “Yeux Glauques” captures the complexity of a world caught between aesthetic brilliance and moral bankruptcy.

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