The Cultural Conflict of Hugh Selwyn Mauberley Essay
The Cultural Conflict of Hugh Selwyn Mauberley
By imitating writing styles of ancient poets, Ezra Pound exhibited his attitude toward modern
civilization, and his famous poem, Hugh Selwyn Mauberley, is the stereotype. In this poem, Pound
revealed his disagreement with industrial society. The poem is an imitation of other old poetic styles,
or epic style; however, it presents ironic meaning. To fully understand Pound s divergence from
modern culture, the ways of presenting his position will be firstly explained. Next, the focus is on the
contrast between the elitist and popular culture. Finally, to highlight Pound s attitude, I prefer to make
comparison with other literary masterpieces, Odyssey, which have similar poetic style, ... Show more
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The focus of Ezra Pound s cultural conflict is the contrast between high culture and popular culture.
And, the source of the conflict has a close relationship with a modern technological advance in human
history, the industrial revolution. The revolution not only changed people s life but also influenced the
way of thinking. As a result, materialism and capitalism influenced industrialized areas. With the
advance of technology, it improved human s living standard on the physical side, but decreased the
spiritual level. To some persons like Ezra Pound, it is the end of Western civilization rather than the
physical improvement of man s life. Hence, Pound comes to terms with his historical situation not by
abandoning his ideal of high art, but by maintaining it in ironic contrast to the products of modern
culture. i[i] Literary work itself, like a mirror, reflects cultural facts of its contemporary period, and
Pound considered the art of a society to be an index to its vitality ii[ii] In Hugh Selwyn Mauberley,
there is a clear line between elitist and popular art, or the ideal and the reality. This kind of distinction
is the result of explosive growth of capital society that overpowers and endangers high culture; yet
ambitious poets could not disregard the sign. An ideal situation is that both modern technology and
culture should grow at equal rate.
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