The Ezra Pound Encyclopedia

Ezra Pound forever changed the course of poetry. The author of a vast body of literature, his enormous range of references and use of multiple languages make him one of the most obscure authors and—because of his Fascism, anti-Semitism, and questionable sanity—one of the most controversial. This encyclopedia is a concise yet comprehensive guide to his life and writings. Included are more than 250 alphabetically arranged entries on such topics as Arabic history, Chinese translation, dance, Hilda Doolittle, Egyptian literature, Robert Frost, and Pound's publications. The entries are written by roughly 100 expert contributors and cite works for further reading. Ezra Pound forever changed the course of poetry. His vast body of poetry and critical works make him one of the 20th century's most prolific writers, and his influence has shaped later poets, great and small. His enormous range of references, deliberate obscurity, and use of multiple languages make him one of the most difficult authors and— because of his Fascism, anti-Semitism, and questionable sanity—one of the most controversial figures in American literary history. This encyclopedia is a concise yet comprehensive guide to his life and writings.

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgments The Encyclopedia Selected Bibliography Notes on the Contributors

About the Author :
Demetres P. Tryphonopoulos is Professor of English at the University of New Brunswick. He is the author of The Celestial Tradition: A Study of Ezra Pound's Cantos (1992), and has coedited Literary Modernism and the Occult Tradition (1996), and I Cease Not to Yowl: Ezra Pound's Letters to Olivia Rossetti Agresti (1998). Stephen J. Adams is Professor of English at the University of Western Ontario. He has published on Pound's music and prosody, and his books include, Murray Schafer (1984), and Poetic Designs: An Introduction to English Meters, Verse Forms, and Figures of Speech (1997).

Review :
"[T]he entries ... are succinct, informative and well written... Value for money, The Ezra Pound Encyclopedia should be in all libraries collecting materials on twentieth century American, British and world literatures."-Reference Reviews "Although other reference works may provide information regarding many of the people and publications listed, one of the treats of the encyclopedia is its specificity. An example is the entry on Periplum, which details the the derivation and use in The Cantos of one of Pound's "signature words..,."The Ezra Pound Encyclopedia is useful, given the author's sprawling body of work and influence....Recommended for academic and large public libraries."-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin "Edited by two Pound scholars, this encyclopedia aims not only "to provide materials to help orient new readers of Pound and Modernism but also to refresh even experienced readers." For the most part, this work achieves its goals. Its strengths are providing brief summaries and the historical context for Pound's works. Other entries include key modernist figures and their relation to Pound, his family members, historical and literary eras, and Pound's controversial views on topics like fascism and anti-semitism. Topical entries, written mostly by scholars, range from a half page to three pages, and typically end with sources for further research. An extensive selected bibliography and an index appear at the end....[t]his resource provides a useful compass for navigating the difficult terrain of Pound's oeuvre and life. Recommended. Academic libraries supporting courses in modernism; upper-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers."-Choice ?[A] recommended pick for specialty college collections: Pound's work changed the course of poetry and made him one of the 20th century's greatest writers, and here are hundreds of A-Z entries referencing his works, influences, and interests. About a hundred expert contributors provide entries perfect for quick reference, many quite detailed and lengthy, which will also lend to student papers.?-MBR Bookwatch ?[E]ncompasses the life, influences, and writings of this controversial American modernist poet.?-C&RL News ?[T]he entries ... are succinct, informative and well written... Value for money, The Ezra Pound Encyclopedia should be in all libraries collecting materials on twentieth century American, British and world literatures.?-Reference Reviews ?Although other reference works may provide information regarding many of the people and publications listed, one of the treats of the encyclopedia is its specificity. An example is the entry on Periplum, which details the the derivation and use in The Cantos of one of Pound's "signature words..,."The Ezra Pound Encyclopedia is useful, given the author's sprawling body of work and influence....Recommended for academic and large public libraries.?-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin ?Edited by two Pound scholars, this encyclopedia aims not only "to provide materials to help orient new readers of Pound and Modernism but also to refresh even experienced readers." For the most part, this work achieves its goals. Its strengths are providing brief summaries and the historical context for Pound's works. Other entries include key modernist figures and their relation to Pound, his family members, historical and literary eras, and Pound's controversial views on topics like fascism and anti-semitism. Topical entries, written mostly by scholars, range from a half page to three pages, and typically end with sources for further research. An extensive selected bibliography and an index appear at the end....[t]his resource provides a useful compass for navigating the difficult terrain of Pound's oeuvre and life. Recommended. Academic libraries supporting courses in modernism; upper-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers.?-Choice ?The goal of the encyclopedia is to help orient new readers of Pound and Modernism, but at the same time to refresh even experienced readers, by limiting the number of articles to the most important and informative and referring readers to more specialized works for further study of any particular aspect. All of his major works are cited, along with such other topics as Anglo-Saxon translation, architecture, Chinese literature, E.E. Cummings, economics, Faber and Faber (publishers), Allan Ginsburg, Ernest Hemingway, Italian literature, law and social justice, and misogyny.?-Reference & Research Book News ?While this encyclopedia barely touches the depths of an amazingly complex and prolific poet, it provides an excellent starting point and road map for further research. Recommended for academic libraries supporting undergraduate and graduate students of literature.?-Library Journal "ÝA¨ recommended pick for specialty college collections: Pound's work changed the course of poetry and made him one of the 20th century's greatest writers, and here are hundreds of A-Z entries referencing his works, influences, and interests. About a hundred expert contributors provide entries perfect for quick reference, many quite detailed and lengthy, which will also lend to student papers."-MBR Bookwatch "ÝE¨ncompasses the life, influences, and writings of this controversial American modernist poet."-C&RL News "The goal of the encyclopedia is to help orient new readers of Pound and Modernism, but at the same time to refresh even experienced readers, by limiting the number of articles to the most important and informative and referring readers to more specialized works for further study of any particular aspect. All of his major works are cited, along with such other topics as Anglo-Saxon translation, architecture, Chinese literature, E.E. Cummings, economics, Faber and Faber (publishers), Allan Ginsburg, Ernest Hemingway, Italian literature, law and social justice, and misogyny."-Reference & Research Book News "[A] recommended pick for specialty college collections: Pound's work changed the course of poetry and made him one of the 20th century's greatest writers, and here are hundreds of A-Z entries referencing his works, influences, and interests. About a hundred expert contributors provide entries perfect for quick reference, many quite detailed and lengthy, which will also lend to student papers."-MBR Bookwatch "[E]ncompasses the life, influences, and writings of this controversial American modernist poet."-C&RL News "While this encyclopedia barely touches the depths of an amazingly complex and prolific poet, it provides an excellent starting point and road map for further research. Recommended for academic libraries supporting undergraduate and graduate students of literature."-Library Journal