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The Cultural Conflict of Hugh Selwyn Mauberley Essay

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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 content…

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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