Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Arides" by Ezra Pound presents a brief yet grim narrative that plunges into the depths of human emotion-despair, indifference, and resignation. At its core, the poem acts as a portrait of Arides, a man so consumed by apathy that he resigns himself to an unhappy marriage. Within these few lines, Pound skillfully encapsulates a universal human condition-the danger of life lived without purpose or self-regard.

The character of Arides is described as "bashful," setting the stage for his lack of agency throughout the poem. He marries an "ugly wife," but what is more alarming than this aesthetic judgment is the reason behind it: he is "bored with his manner of life." The diction suggests a profound ennui, a corrosive boredom that has made him "indifferent and discouraged." It's a damning psychological profile sketched in a handful of words.

Pound illuminates a fatalistic attitude in Arides when he says, "he thought he might as well do this as anything else." This chilling line captures the sense of aimlessness that can lead one to make life-altering decisions on a whim. Arides doesn't marry out of love, passion, or even calculated benefit-he marries to escape the banality of his existence. In doing so, however, he exchanges one form of existential suffering for another, perhaps more enduring, one.

The internal monologue-"I am no use to myself, / Let her, if she wants me, take me"-reveals Arides' lack of self-worth. He sees himself as expendable, his life of so little value that he might as well 'gift' it to someone else, regardless of the implications for his happiness or well-being. He embodies the tragic outcome of a life bereft of meaning or ambition, willing to relinquish his autonomy to escape his emotional void.

The closing line, "He went to his doom," underlines the self-destructive nature of his decision. The word "doom" conjures a sense of impending disaster or terrible fate, indicating that Arides' marriage is not just a mere mistake, but a catastrophic error that will likely lead to misery or even ruin. His lack of self-worth manifests as a self-fulfilling prophecy, spiraling him further down the path of despair.

By creating the character of Arides, Ezra Pound offers a cautionary tale about the dangers of living a life devoid of purpose or self-love. In its brevity, the poem captures the essence of a deeply relatable existential crisis, the outcome of which is as tragic as it is preventable. And so, Arides becomes not just a figure in a poem, but a representation of an all-too-common human predicament, rendered with haunting clarity

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...