Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Cantico del Sole" by Ezra Pound is a brief but potent reflection on the American cultural landscape and its detachment from the Classical tradition. The recurring line, "The thought of what America would be like / If the Classics had a wide circulation," serves as both lament and indictment, underlining what Pound perceives as a significant lacuna in the American educational and cultural system.

In titling the poem "Cantico del Sole," which translates to "Canticle of the Sun," Pound evokes St. Francis of Assisi's famous religious song of praise to God for the beauty of creation. The irony is palpable, as the canticle, an offering of joy and reverence, is juxtaposed against Pound's troubled musings on the absence of Classical knowledge in America. The Classical texts he refers to could mean anything from Homer's epics to Plato's dialogues, texts that have shaped Western thought for millennia.

The repetition of the phrase "The thought of what America" works like an obsessive refrain, emphasizing the ceaselessness of Pound's worry. It's as if the idea haunts him, persistently interrupting his peace of mind and even his sleep. And it is not just any sleep but the kind that is troubled, suggesting an inner turmoil or a prophetic form of insomnia, if one stretches the imagination.

"Nunc dimittis," the Latin phrase which means "Now you dismiss," is part of a Christian hymn used during evening liturgies, and it talks about departing in peace. This phrase raises the stakes by bringing in religious undertones of finality and resignation. It's as though Pound, seeing no solution to his worry, is ready to "depart in peace," resigning himself to the unfortunate cultural circumstances he critiques.

However, the poem ends with an "Oh well!" that signifies a complex blend of resignation, despair, and perhaps a modicum of hope. Despite its brevity, it captures a nuanced emotional register. It seems to say that life goes on despite these troubling thoughts, even if they are not resolved. Here Pound may be acknowledging the limitations of his concerns, recognizing that the world does not conform to his ideals, yet finding some form of reluctant peace in that acknowledgment.

In the context of the poem, Pound's sleeplessness serves as a metaphor for his broader unease about the decline of high culture, as he sees it, in the face of modernity. The very idea that the absence of Classical literature could so profoundly trouble him suggests a level of engagement and concern for the cultural fabric of society that is in itself a kind of modern lament. Through these layered allusions and repetitive structures, "Cantico del Sole" becomes not just a critique but a complex emotional and cultural statement.

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