Ezra Pound or HD Poetry

Ezra Pound's Meditatio Meditatio When I carefully consider the curious habits of Dogs I am compelled to conclude That man is the superior animal. When I consider the curious habits of man I confess, my friend, I am puzzled. As one of the fathers of literary modernism, Ezra Pound reacted to classicism and romanticism and, in the poem, Meditatio, expresses the conflict between individual identity and the bestial nature of humankind.

In fact, it is the social issue of what it means to be human that this poem epitomizes - what even the definition of human and human causality might be, and in particular, the nature of humanity when compared to one of the classic symbols of human unity -- canus familiarias, the dog. There are several levels of conflict within this short poem.

First, Pound tells us in the title that this is a "meditation." In other words, this is not simply a description, but something emotional and psychologically invested that is a puzzlement -- but important enough to consider from all angles. Second, there is the mystery and conflict of what it means to be human, or a dog -- in the context of early 20th century definitions.

Third, we wonder at what habits Pound hints when he asks us to consider dogs and humans? And finally, the more metaphysical aspect of the entire poem -- why is the author contemplating humans and dogs? What makes this a viable comparison, and what is it that has caused Pound to reconsider humanity? Meditation is not just thought, it is not just random imaging, but a way of training the mind to be hyper conscious or a way to relax, build energy, and connect with the self and innate nature of humanity.

Pound's use of the word implies that this discussion about humans is vital to his own understanding of himself and the lives of others. Instead of being an academic approach to the quantitative analysis of an issue, meditation about a topic implies that there really is no quantitative truth, but simply a problem in which there may actually be no answer, but only a series of additional contemplative questions.

In this way, Pound is telling us to be mindful of what he is contemplating; perhaps giving us a hint to look beyond the expected and find what is not always apparent. The idea of being human has, of course, puzzled philosophers for centuries. By beginning the poem with the phrase about dogs, though, Pound is telling the reader that there are symbols of how humans view dogs.

Prior to the 20th century and the hyper-personalization of dogs, they were seen more as loyal companions -- working animals, bred from wolves to please their masters and be part of the hunt or herding.

Dogs have been valued in society for what they bring to society -- and perhaps what the refrain from adding? Our hint, in this case, is the phrase "the curious habits of dogs." What does this mean? What are these habits? Dogs are typically blindly loyal, trustworthy, protective, they come when called, they seem to take abuse but give back love, and unless specifically trained to fight or be aggressive, are not generally so.

Perhaps Pound is saying that when he contemplates how dogs do not judge, how they form rapid and long-lasting bonds, and how they prefer to serve than be served -- he initially prefers humans. He finds "man as the superior animal," yet does not give us a scale or tell us superior in what way.

Then, just as quickly, Pound asks us to rethink our original hypothesis as he asks us to "consider the curious habits of humans." Which of these habits might he mean? Does he mean that we are the only species to actively war upon itself? That we are one of the few species who actively enslaves others? Or, does he mean that by being able to cognitively meditate about a subject we have risen above the animals; dominion over them as the Bible said? Since Pound is puzzled when he compares the two species, we must ask if he finds humans wanting and perhaps not as far ahead or superior to dogs as might be expected? Because this is a short poem, many would say it borders on the cynical.

Yet, from the use of precise language, not any extra words or phrases, and the use of the term meditation as opposed to afterthought, we know that the very idea of how wise and superior humans are is not set in stone for Pound, but rather when one considers the very basic nature of the beast, one might find that humans are often more bestial than the very beasts we seek to dominate.

We are also thrust into the very nature of the form of humanity in that we really never understand what Pound envisions as human, nor what he believes to be specifically canine. In this sense, Meditatio leaves the reader with a sense of unfound cynicism, of unbridled curiosity, and of a sense of self-doubt -- particularly from the verb use "puzzled." The individuality of Meditatio is further expressed in that we each bring a representation of "canineness" to the poem.

Some will remember a favorite pet, some a cuddly plush toy, others a more comic version of a dog's antics --.