The thought of what America would be like
If the Classics had a wide circulation
Troubles my sleep,
The thought of what America,
The thought of what America,The thought of what America would be like
If the Classics had a wide circulation
Troubles my sleep.
Nunc dimittis, now lettest thou thy servant,
Now lettest thou thy servant
Depart in peace.
The thought of what America,
The thought of what America,
The thought of what America would be like
If the Classics had a wide circulation…
Oh well!
It troubles my sleep.

Analysis, meaning and summary of Ezra Pound's poem Cantico del Sole

4 Comments

  1. Sheryl Skoglund says:
    December 23, 2010 at 8:36 pm

    Nunc Di·mit·tis   /ˈnʌŋk dɪˈmɪtɪs, ˈnʊŋk/ Show Spelled
    [nuhngk di-mit-is, noongk] Show IPA

    –noun
    1. ( italics ) the canticle beginning with the words of Simeon, in Luke 2:29–32, “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace.” The thought of what America would be like
    If the Classics had a wide circulation…
    Oh well!
    It troubles my sleep.
    A Cantico to the Sun God?

    Reply
  2. thrower says:
    December 1, 2005 at 9:07 pm

    I agree with the other comments, especially my friend from across the pond. However, there is a particular “American Project” at work in Pound’s understanding of the cultural “loss” of the classics. It is afterall America that breeds the troubled thought. By now (2005) this attitude is global (from my perspective).

    Reply
  3. david says:
    June 20, 2005 at 3:36 pm

    I do agree. But if you look at this poems is good example of how can repetition, even literal, function in a poem. It doesn´t function most of the time. This poems make me think in the repetitive chords of Lou Reed, ja, ja

    Reply
  4. sally says:
    June 20, 2005 at 2:01 pm

    This poem was written to warn people that cultural values are being lost, modernism was not meant for this but to revive the values of poetry.

    Reply

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