08/04/2026
Allen Ginsberg: "I found Ezra Pound sitting on the plaque opposite his boarding house, a quiet, exasperated, rather quiet Pound." I got no more answers to my questions than the tireless movement of his hands. I tried very carefully to break that deadly silence by hugging him; yes, I confess, respectfully kissing his forehead, while saying:
"For me, as for so many young poets, you have been an invaluable encouragement, not only for your work but also for your conception of poetry according to which without things there would be no ideas." The style of his poems has directly and with great accuracy influenced my own conception of writing.
All this I tell you, does it have any interest to you? "
A great silence, followed by a very twisted murmurs, a voice beaten by age..
Ezra Pound: Yes, but my poems, for one, lack any interest. At 70 I have realized that my life has not been a chimera, but an idiocy.
Allen Ginsberg: That does not take away from the fact that his work, that artistic set of words and phrases, has provided me with the necessary impetus for my own evolution.
Ezra Pound: Puro revoltijo.
Allen Ginsberg: What does he mean, to you, to your Cantos or to me?.
Ezra Pound: My Play. Stupid and pedantic from head to toe. But my biggest mistake was my antisemitism, that stupid bias little bourgeoisie.
Allen Ginsberg: I'm glad to hear you say this. In any case, you have shown us the way. The more I read, the more I become convinced that his poems are the greatest lyrical work of our time. And regarding your statements on politics and economics, you were right. Every day it looks clearer in Vietnam. You were the first to show us who war benefits.
Allow me to bless you and read you a poem?.
Ezra Pound: Sí.»..
"The Process of Ezra Pound." Chimera Magazine, No. 49, May 1985. Translation by Juanjo Fernandez.
Photograph: Ezra Pound in 1958 with Allen Ginsberg.