Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In Ezra Pound's "Salutation the Second," the poet engages in a reflective and somewhat defiant dialogue with his own works, examining the evolving relationship between the poet and the audience, as well as contemplating the nature and role of poetry in society. Through this meta-conversation, Pound scrutinizes societal expectations of art and questions the pursuit of newness in the face of constant change.

The poem begins with Pound addressing his earlier works, acknowledging that their initial success was in part because they came from a fresh, countryside perspective that was "twenty years behind the times." Despite changes in his approach, he refuses to disown these works, insisting that they should not disown their subsequent "progeny" either. This sets up a continuity between Pound's different phases of work, as if to say that evolution in a poet's style or subject should be seen not as a betrayal but as a natural development.

Then the poet moves to defend his newer works, stating that they stand "without quaint devices" and without anything "archaic about them." Here, he anticipates the criticism his works have or will receive for not meeting conventional expectations. Questions from the hypothetical audience like, "Is this the nonsense that we expect of poets?" or "Where is the vertigo of emotion?" indicate societal norms around what poetry should be. The desire for the "Picturesque" and the nostalgic opinion that "his first work was the best" both reflect a resistance to change, a kind of artistic conservatism that Pound rejects.

The speaker then instructs his "little naked and impudent songs" to "Go with a light foot!" and dance shamelessly, greeting the "grave and the stodgy" with irreverence. Pound advocates for a poetry that disrupts societal norms and challenges established tastes. The poet even provocatively instructs his work to "Dance the dance of the phallus and tell anecdotes of Cybele!"-a reference to rituals and stories from ancient religions that would undoubtedly shake the prudish and the orthodox.

Moreover, Pound exhorts his poems to "ruffle the skirts of prudes, speak of their knees and ankles," but most critically, to "go to practical people-go! jangle their door-bells!" This is a call for his poetry to intrude upon and challenge the worldviews of people who might dismiss art as impractical or irrelevant. By saying, "Say that you do no work and that you will live forever," Pound attributes to his poems a transcendent quality, claiming that although they may not have a utilitarian function, they possess an enduring existence.

"Salutation the Second" is not only Pound's manifesto for his own poetry but also his commentary on society's ever-changing relationship with art. Through this dynamic introspection, he explores the burden of expectations, the inevitability of change, and the liberating power of art to challenge and rejuvenate societal norms. As much as it questions the society it confronts, the poem also embodies the self-renewing and self-questioning essence of art itself.

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