A Pact by Ezra Pound

A Pact by Ezra Pound

I make a pact with you, Walt Whitman -
I have detested you long enough.
I come to you as a grown child
Who has had a pig-headed father;
I am old enough now to make friends.
It was you that broke the new wood,
Now is a time for carving.
We have one sap and one root -
Let there be commerce between us.

Analysis:

A pact is an agreement, covenant or a compact between two sides. This poem is describing an agreement between two former enemies that have had a bad past. This pact shown in the poem is to put all past conflict aside and begin a new relationship. Walt Whitman was a poet, known for his free verse poetry. This poem relates to the relationship between Ezra Pound and Walt Whitman. “I am old enough now to make friends.” This passage is describing how Ezra Pound is mature enough to understand and appreciate Walt Whitman’s poetry to its full extent.

“It was you that broke the new wood
Now is a time for carving.
We have one sap and one root –“

This passage emphasizes how Whitman started and influenced modern poetry. Ezra quotes: “Now is a time for carving.” This portion of the stanza is portraying the message that Ezra believes he wants to change the style of poetry that Whitman had created. The second last line of the poem is a metaphor that Ezra uses to explain how Pound and Whitman have the same background and interest.

The conflict between the two poets works very well in intriguing the reader and the many interesting metaphors used by Pound for this relationship between him and Whitman. Despite, the poem being very shorts I feel as if Pound had possibly more to say about Whitman, a poet whom he respected greatly.