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Unification of Ideologies: An analysis of Ezra Pounds Cantos

According to The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Ezra Pound was a well-educated writer and radical philosopher who had difficulties assimilating with social structures of his time. His self prompted departure from country to country made him well versed in not only Western literature but also Eastern literature. Whether it was his struggles with mental stability or his desire to complete an epic poem like Homer or John Milton, Ezra Pound’s Cantos consists of many historically relevant figures found in the literary canon from both Western and Eastern literature. In “Canto Thirteen” Pound demonstrates a “make it new” approach to literature by deconstructing Eastern literature and reinventing it with the English language. The Cantos in its entirety raises questions about social order, social hierarchy, as well as universal and personal wisdom in the form of anecdotal short stories. Pound follows a similar writing structure as The Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu and the Analects by Confucius by composing anecdotal and poetic proverbs. Specifically, Pound’s “Canto Thirteen” blends Eastern and Western ideologies and reimagines a digestible version of Eastern literature while incorporating his own interpretation of the Eastern texts which highlight the importance of reimagining art and society.

“Canto Thirteen” begins with Kung, whom some interpreters claim to be Pound, and his disciples’ discussing man’s purpose. Kung claims that “we are unknown,” as if to claim that being known for a human accomplishment is necessary for existence. After Kung’s statement he elaborates on the concept of being “known,” but is interrupted by his excited disciples. His disciples follow Kung’s remark by stating they will pick up a practice such as, “charioteering,” or “archery,” which can be identified as physical/tactical art forms while others declare that they will pursue politics or perform “rituals” which can be identified as social and introspective art forms. These ideas form binaries. Since Eastern traditions tend to embody the Taoist philosophy, or rather, the Yin-Yang, Pound utilizes the characters from the story as a form of binary thinking. In psycho-analytic terms these concepts can be viewed as masculine or feminine, or what Carl G. Jung would title the Introvert and Extrovert. Therefore, identifying binary opposition is not strictly an Eastern phenomenon, yet there are moments when Pound pays direct homage to Confucian ideologies, especially with the evocation of archery. Pound took a short excerpt from Confucius’s Analects and expanded upon its meaning. The short excerpt introduces a philosopher named Kung. Kung is as an intellect who practices many arts, yet his achievements often go unknown and undocumented. The excerpt translates to, “A man of the village of Ta-hsiang said, ‘Great indeed is the philosopher K’ung! His learning is extensive, and yet he does not render his name famous by any particular thing. The Master heard the observation, and said to his disciples, `What shall I practice? Shall I practice charioteering, or shall I practice archery? I will practice charioteering,” (Confucius Ch2 9.2). The notion of undocumented wisdom is also the premise for the Tao Te Ching since the auther, Lao Tzu, a contemporary of Confucius, was a wandering monk full of wisdom but had no disciples or any documentation of his worldview. Since many of these ancient stories have gone through many interpretations and reiterations, their meaning and the mythology behind their creation are debatable. Putting historical conclusiveness aside, these documentations exist, and just like many great poets and novelists do, Pound chose to pay homage to these teachings by rendering his own interpretation of the Eastern texts. Rather than making his personal translation of the Analects or the Tao Te Ching, Pound re-imagined the story of K’ung from the Analects and infused himself into the character. This is made clear when Pound incorporates concepts of Taoism into Kung’s reply, “Which had answered correctly? And Kung said, ‘They have all answered correctly, that is to say, each in his nature.” (Pound 13). This is reflective of the first line of the Tao Te Ching, which states, “The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao,” (Tao Te Ching Ch1). By drawing from these stories and expanding upon their ideas, Pound synthesized his own story with a Western perspective. Ironically, the legend behind the composition of the Tao Te Ching is similar to how Pound’s Canto’s were composed. Both pieces were written while Pound and Lao Tzu were incarcerated. Rather than being arrested, Ezra pound was declared clinically insane and was admitted to a psyche-ward. Pound was experiencing paranoia and dove deeply into conspiracy theories such as the alliance between the Medici family banks and Jewish bankers who developed interest fees and unjust taxation. Pound hints at the Medici bank corruption in “Canto 21” where he states, “Wherever you find a Medici, you find a loan at low interest,” (Canto). Pound distrusted the banking system and the Medici affiliation with Jewish bankers. This was the root of his Anti-Semitic belief. His distrust towards the elders of the Medici family is implied in “Canto 13” as well when Kung meets Yuan Jang, “Yuan Jang being his elder… sat by the roadside pretending to be receiving wisdom. A man of fifty who knows nothing is worthy of no respect,” (Pound). The “elder” people that Pound refers to can be the Medici family elders and the fact that the man is “pretending to receive wisdom” suggests Yuan Jang is receiving wisdom from an unreliable source, or rather, the Jewish influence over the Medici banks. Pound furthers the notion of economic corruption in the following line, “if a man have not order within him, his family will not act with due order,” (Pound 13). Pound’s evocation of “elders,” “family” and “order” corroborates his accusation towards the Medici banks unethical allegiance based on unjust financial obligations. Pound’s vast knowledge of these topics lead to paranoia and his accusation against Jewish bankers. These series of events in “Canto 13” does not suggest any Anti-Semitic messages but his belief in the banking system conspiracy lead to his inclination towards Fascism and Anti-Semitism. Similar to Fascism and Anti-Semitism, the Confucian Analects also suggests ideas that are unfavorable in the Western world like the passage from chapter thirteen, “The Master said, `In hearing litigations, I am like any other body. What is necessary, however, is to cause the people to have no litigations,” (Confucius 12.13). This passage suggests communist undertones, which are highly unfavorable in the Western world. Pound himself claimed that he was not racist when he stated that racism is "the tool of the man defeated intellectually" and stated his belief system is not clearly any one of the aforementioned ideologies, but rather, a new philosophy in opposition with Western ideologies. Author Robert Anton Wilson comments on this statement, “[Pound] did slip into that idiocy on occasion as his temper rose… typical of the confusions of those who are both geniuses and very angry,” (Wilson 78). Pound’s cathartic pieces contained notions of Fascism and Anti-Semitism, but Pound knew, though he was afraid of being misunderstood, that he’d ultimately be misunderstood. Adopting Nietzsche’s philosophy from Thus Spoke Zarasthustra, “a book for all and none,” (Nietzche), Pound acknowledged possible misreading of his work and the ensuing criticism that is to follow. Louis Menand of The New Yorker comments on this notion, “it is very easy for the average underprepared reader to get Pound wrong, and [Pound] desperately did not want to be misunderstood,” (Menand). What Pound intended to do by gathering radical ideologies from around the world was to create something new, something in opposition to the Western civilization during his time. Pound’s philosophy towards art and life was to “make it new.” Louis Menand comments on Pound’s philosophy with his understanding of Pound’s view, “The “It” in “Make It New” is the Old—what is valuable in the culture of the past.” (Menand). Menand’s notion of the “it” being “the old” is seen at the very end of “Canto 13,” “A day when the historians left blanks in their writings, I mean, for things they didn’t know, but that time seems to be passing,” (Pound 13). Pound acknowledges fallibility of history. Another reference to the old also suggests his distrust in the Medici family and he optimistically states that the time of ignorance is passing. Pound recognizes the significance of unifying opposing ideas and that is why he re-imagined the Kung story from the Confucian Analects. Menand comments on this notion further by stating, “A great deal of Pound’s poetry therefore takes the form of translation, imitation, allusion, and quotation. He is trying to breathe life into a line of artistic and intellectual accomplishment, but it is a line of his own invention—a [new] “tradition,”” (Menand). Pound makes chapter nine of the Analects his own at the end of “Canto 13” with the line, “Without character you will be unable to play on that instrument, or to execute the music fit for the Odes,” (Pound) which pays homage to the Analects chapter nine which states, “The odes serve to stimulate the mind,” (Confucius 9.2). Pound infuses his beliefs into his rendition of chapter nine by suggesting that without character one cannot stimulate his mind. Pound makes the ending of “Canto 13” his own by making an inference towards unifying multiple belief systems when he wrote, “The blossoms of the apricot blow from east to the west, and I have tried to keep them from falling,” (Pound 13). The apricot blossom represents Eastern belief systems and knowledge, and Kung, who can be identified as Pound, is the “I” and the force behind the unification of Eastern and Western philosophy. The passage suggests that Pound wishes to synthesize a new ideology; to utilize the ideas of the old and to make it new. Pound’s philosophy of “make it new” is not only applicable with art but also with politics, religion, and economics. Pound was definitely paranoid and believed heavily in conspiracy theories, but that bit of insanity was his genius. Pound’s “Cantos” was ahead of it’s time and many authors who were Pound’s contemporaries adopted his style and believed in his forward thinking, as well as others who believed he lost his mind. Canto 13 in particular created something new but also created something that redefines aspects of literature itself. Rather than paying homage to strictly Western idols and mythology, as many of his predecessors did, Pound diversified his influences in hopes of influencing his readers. Pound was a controversial figure and his reputation as an Anti-Semite corroborates this notion, yet many of his intentions were misrepresented and Pound himself admitted to his action. When it came to art, Pound understood the significance of uniqueness and authenticity; therefore, though incomplete as a whole work, Pound included Eastern texts into the Cantos as an attempt to redefine epic poetry and to unify the many facets of world religions and philosophies beyond Western religions and Greek mythology in hopes of inspiring future readers with his radical approach at art.

Works Cited Baym, Nina. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 8th ed. Vol. D. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. Print.

Confucius. Analects, Teachings and Translations: Indiana State, Indiana, 2012, Web. http://www.indiana.edu/~p374/Analects_of_Confucius_%28Eno-2012%29.pdf

Lao Tzu. Tao Te Ching: interpretation by Derek Lin, 2015, Web, http://www.taoism.net/ttc/chapters/chap01.htm

Menand, Louis. “The Pound Error” The New Yorker, New York, June 9, 2008, Web. http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/06/09/the-pound-error

Pound, Ezra. “Canto 13: Kung Walked,” 2015, Web. http://www.poemhunter.com/best- poems/ezra-pound/canto-xiii-kung-walked

Wilson, Robert Anton, “Selected Prose by Ezra Pound,” Conspiracy Digest New York, 1973, Web. http://www.rawillumination.net/2011/03/raw-reviews-pounds-prose- here-i-reprint.html

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ryankamiyamazaki-blog · 7 years ago

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Appropriate Classroom Conduct: Academic Analysis of Koushun Takami’s Battle Royale

Often considered the novel that Suzanne Collins plagiarized when writing The Hunger Games, the novel Battle Royale by Koushun Takami sets the readers in a dystopian future ruled by a dictator and ravaged by rebellious teens. From an academic standpoint, if the Hunger Games is acceptable by the common core standards then why not allow students to read the original? It can be argued that the novel is an English translation of a Japanese novel, therefore it cannot be accepted by the common core, but novels such as Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky and Don Quixote by Cervantez are considered academically proper, so why not? Battle Royale at its core it is an alternate rendition of Lord of the Flies (also part of the common core) with a focus on ethics, trust, human experience, and struggle, as well as a grotesque view in to the unrestrained human psyche. I am not attempting to draw the similarities between the aforementioned novels and Battle Royale. What I am stating is that the novel contains educational elements similar to the aforementioned novels, thus, it has educational relevance and should have a home in the academic world.

The novel, Battle Royale, focuses primarily on the authoritarian universe in which teenage rebellion is the norm. Over population is destroying the country and there is no choice but to have a militaristic authoritarian nation to keep things under control. The chaotic state of the country led to the passing of the Battle Royale act. The act regulates rebellion and over population by forcing students battle to the death on an island. The reward for the single winner is their life, the battle to the death forces students to appreciate their lives. Students are led to believe that they are attending a school field trip but soon awaken (after being drugged) in a classroom on a deserted island, where they are given a militaristic/academic briefing on their assignment. Their assignment is to kill or be killed in a span of three days, where inattentiveness will result in an explosion of their Orwellian-esque wiretapped collar. This dystopian universe is the world Takemi invites the reader to. With that said, an agreeable description of what makes a “good” novel can be defined by variety, since there are multiple mini stories and sub plots of every character. This allows for an option to focus on an individual character in context to the story. With variety, the term “good” becomes subjective and personalized, in a sense that an individual characters experience can be favorable over another. Though it is subjective, one cannot argue that many people (after reading every characters story) will claim that they have read “a good book,” regardless of preference. This is when Kant’s notion of taste, or agreeable sensation would be applicable as he states, “all private sensation can only decide for the observer himself and his satisfaction” (Kant 257). Clearly there are fully fleshed out characters and characters who survive for only one chapter, yet those dedicated chapters alone provides an opportunity for close reading.

If one is displeased with a single interpretation of the text, all one must do is detach themselves from the main character, Shuya Nanahara, and focus on a different perspective of a different student. This will please those in favor of taking a Kantian approach that refutes the notion of bias and enforces experience. With that said, it is safe to say that a good novel can be defined as a dense piece of literature with an established foundation of how the universe functions. This technique gives the reader an option to choose an experience within the novel most suitable (or unsuitable) for their private sensation. The fleshed out characters within the novel allows for multiple readings and experiences.

With over twenty students and one deranged principal, it is impossible for a single interpretation for any section within the novel. I find this to be an important factor for the constraints of an academic read. What I am alluding to is the diversity of subplots with rich subject matters within the novel. There is a sense of struggle throughout the novel as paranoid students begin to confess their concerns that raise the existential question, “what am I doing here?” In this scene a couple discuss their current situation and agrees to commit suicide before their collars explodes or before another student finds them, “You're so kind, Kazuhiko. That's what I like about you." I like you, too. I love you so much." (to Sakura, his girlfriend) If he weren't so inarticulate, Kazuhiko could have said so much more. How much her expression, her gentle manner, her pure untainted soul meant to him. How important, in short, her existence was to him. But he wasn't able to put into words. He was only a third-year student in junior high, and worst yet, composition was one of his worst subjects. (Takami 138) What she wanted was to leave this world quietly before they got sucked into this horrible massacre… Had he been more eloquent he might have described his feelings as something like, "I'm going to die for her honor." (Takami 140) Irony does not even begin to define this scene. These are teenagers, practically children, who are forced into life or death situation, devoid of proper eloquence to articulate their feelings. This particular scene can be read as an anticlimactic homage to wordy Shakespearian monologues. Their passion for one another has been condensed and satirized in a grotesque yet humorous manner. Not only does this unfortunate scene dismiss the classic lovesick confession portrayed in many epics, it forces the reader to empathize with the agon (Nietzsche’s notion of the struggle) of the students lack eloquence. There is also an important messaged enmeshed in the short-lived lives of Kazuhiko and his partner. A reminder that language/education does not equate to human progress; that the concept of life and death is beyond eloquence and rhetoric (Nietzsche quote on honesty). Examples of close reading such as these suggest that the novel can be complimentary to many course-required texts (such as Shakespeare) as a parallel or a foil. Every student experiences a moment of existential crisis as Kazuhiko did and many students struggle with this concept. Each character has a different plan or motive upon being deployed and forced to participate in the program. Takami takes the reader on a journey through each one of their thought processes.

Every student participating on the island is provided with a weapon given at random upon deployment. Takami captures the sensation of the student’s existential uncertainty by giving every student a voice. By giving every student a voice Takami masterfully evokes the fragility of the human (in this case teenage) psyche. Authors studied by scholars such as Edgar Allan Poe evokes these notions in The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket with lines like “words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality” (Poe) spoken by the narrator. This line alone credits the novel Battle Royale as a worthy academic read since the horror of reality is presented in the exposition of every character. Authors outside of the academic realm such as Chuck Palahnuik attributes similar sentiments by stating, “Write about the issues that really upset you. Those are the only things worth writing about” (Palaniuck 1999). Takemi hits home and harkens back to primal fears a student or teacher would experience at a regular school setting. By using the characters as vehicles for transporting the fears in to the mind of the reader, Takemi’s novel has the capacity to impress the readers mind with existential questions of their own. Since Takemi wrote from an uncomfortable and upsetting part of the human psyche, the novel can be dissected in a way Jaques Derrida would appreciate; in a deconstructive approach of critical analysis. Derrida would state that the enigmatic idea of fear is the centralized structure of Battle Royale. Though there are a few characters who live outside of this structure such as Shogo, a transfer student who is unfamiliar with other students, Kazuo, a sociopathic and mentally unstable student, Shinji, the basketball team captain with his scholarship, Sakamochi, the principal and the protagonists Shuya and Noriko, whom creates the foundation of the novel. Focusing now on the transfer student Shogo, he understands the Battle Royale Survival Program as a man made structure and deconstructs it by describing the foundation of the structure itself:

“Even if I happen to succeed I'm going to die anyway. You wear nice clothes, you seek respect, you make a lot of money, but what's the point? It's all pointless. Of course, this kind of meaninglessness might suit this crappy nation. But...but, you see, we still have emotions like joy and happiness, right? They may not amount to much. But they fill up our emptiness. That's the only explanation I have. So...these emotions are probably missing from Kazuo. He's got no foundation for values. So he merely chooses. He doesn't have a solid foundation. He just chooses as he goes... Like for this game he might just as well have chosen not to participate. But he decided to. That's my little theory” (Takemi 268).

Shogo is hinting at some Marxist theories, existential theories, as well as theories of morality and ethics (like Kant). Shogo is enduring his captivity on the island with a pragmatic perspective. He is defining the situation and raising the same questions evoked by philosophers and authors alike. In an academic setting, this will be a very useful section.

Regardless of a cult following in the underground literary world, Battle Royale ups the ante in many respects. In comparison to other literary works, this novel encapsulates key aspects of philosophy, as well as the unanswered questions evoked throughout history. This novel was originally written in Japanese but it pays homage to Western literary canon. Though it is far from an epic poem and is the complete opposite of any Shakespearian tragicomedy, Battle Royale carries an unmistakable essence of reality by presenting the burden created by the human psyche. The subject matter itself, if done tactfully, is immensely relatable to students in an academic setting. If incorporated into a lesson plan the first fear an educator might have is an uproar from angry parents or fearless junior revolutionaries trying “to stick it to the man.” I understand these possibilities. There are many talks of controversy behind this literary work, but I also feel that novels such as these are essential for developing minds. Students have questions that go unanswered by their educators, but Battle Royale acts as the pathos, a multifaceted view of the world through the perspective of different students. As presented, the novel Battle Royale can be utilized wisely as an educational work. It provides a taste of comfort for educators by introducing concepts such as deconstructivism/decentralization by Derrida, questions of existential trauma presented by thinkers such as Nietzche and Kierkegaard, inner workings of neurosis and fear relating to Freud, Rank, and Jung, all while throwing easily digesting these concepts for the student to analyze from a safe distance. Students desire relatability, what better way than raising the question, “what if?”

Works Cited

Poe, Edgar Allan The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2149

Palahnuik, Chuck “Thirteen Writing Tips” http://chuckpalahniuk.net/workshop/essays/chuck-palahniuk

Richter, David The Critical Tradition: Classic Texts and Contemporary Trends. Bedford/St. Martin , 2007

Takami, Koushun Battle Royale Ohta Shuppan, Japan, 1997

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