Greek and Roman Myths in The Cantos of Ezra Pound

This paper explores Greek and Roman myths in The Cantos of Ezra Pound, the poet of poets in the 20th century literary modernism as well as Imagism. Throughout his complicated and imagistic poetry, Pound alludes to Greek and Roman myths including: Odysseus, Circe, Tiresias, Pluto, Neptune, Sirens, Aphrodite, Helen, Tyro, Dionysus, Acoetes, Pentheus, Daphne, Cadmus, Itys, Actaeon, Diana, Persephone, Salmacis, Poseidon, Medusa, Artemis, Hermes, Athena, and the Nereids. The mythical technique of manipulating Greek and Roman mythology and juxtaposing it with medieval and modern history employed in Pound s poems unravels his complicated intentions, deepening his poetic symbolism, and broadening his modern perspective.