EdgarEduardoGarciaProf.LangdonHammerBeineckeResearchSeminarFall2010

“Lestsomelittlethingoftherealworldshouldintrudeitself:”EzraPound’sDreamCityinCollisionwiththeReal

SqueezedbetweenathinexpositionontheloveaffairsofAlexanderPopeand

aneditorialonthenegativeeffectsofcollegereadinglistsonthereadinghabitsof

graduates,EzraPound’stravelessay,“Burgos:ADreamCityofOldCastile,”was

publishedintheOctober1906issueofBookNewsMonthly.Hissecondarticleforthe

magazine,thiswasPound’sfirstpublishedforayintothepopularliteratureofcross‐

culturaltravelandthedescriptionofajourney.“AmdoingBurgos,”hewritestohis

fatherafewdaysafterhisdeparturefromthatcity,“withanArthurSymons‐Kipling

effectbutIdon’tsupposeMr.C[CarlosTracyChester]willbeabletouseit.”1Mr.

Chester,co‐editoratBookNewsMonthly,wasabletouseit,andPoundenteredthe

glossyworldofthemagazinewithatraveloguethatblendedthesolipsistic

wanderlustofArthurSymonswiththeclear,Kiplingesqueanalyticalcritique,

characteristicofempiremanagementandhigh‐minded,gentlemanlyjournalism.But

thiscognitivemapping,toborrowaconceptfromFredricJameson,doesnotlimit

itselftoastyleofrepresenting.TheSymons‐Kiplingeffect,representingstructures

ofpowerembeddedinthestyleandaestheticsoftherepresentationofplace,also

representadesire,onPound’spart,tosubsumeplaceintoaesthetics.Pound’stravel

essayrepresentsplaceasanimaginaryculturalmap,butitisinanunsteady

relationshiptotherestless,oftencatastrophicmaterialoftherealworld.Although

1“ParisJune15,1906,”TheEzraPoundPapers,BeineckeLibrary,YaleUniversity.

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thematerialspaceofBurgosismetaphorizedtoadreamstate,Burgosremainsmore

thanadream;itsmaterialscollidingwiththepoet’svisionaryimpulses.And,from

thiscollision,anew,highlyprotectivereflexemerges—onethatwillbecomecentral

toPound’saestheticsofplace.

Thereflexwasaresponsetoaggravatingpoliticalcircumstancesin1906.In

Mayofthatyear,PoundcrossedtheAtlanticontheSSKonigAlbert,arrivingin

CordobaandlaterMadridforasummerofresearchonLopedeVegaandCatholic

moralityplays.2Buthisprojectwasfrequentlyderailedbychaosinthestreets.On

May9th,hewritestoWilliamCarlosWilliamsfromthemainrailwayhubatAlcazar

deSanJuan,thathehadtoleaveCordobaat2AM,

becausethecitizensofthatpartoftheancientcitywhichliesmostremotefromcivilizationtookoffenseatmykeepingdryinablackraincoatinsteadofapinkumbrellaandshowedtheirdispleasurebythrowingancientvegetablesandfragmentsofpavementatme.

Inanotherletter,heconcedesthatshouldnothavebeentravelingin“thatpartofthe

ancientcity”withoutaguide—butclaimsthatanyguidewouldhavebeenuseless.In

ordertoberidofthepesteringchildren,hegaveoneacigarette,amistakethat

prompted“5000others”toapproach.Refusingtogiveoutanymore,herepliedto

their“cincocentavos?”inaSpanishmangledwithItalianisms,“cincodiabolos—vaya

aldiabolo.”Uponwhich,hewaschaseddownwithrottenvegetablesandbitsof

pavement,narrowlyescapingonalate‐nighttrain.Humorousasthisepisodemight

2TheAmericanRootsofEzraPound,J.J.Wilhelm(NewYork1985),145‐8.WilhelmcontendsthatPoundstartedfromGibraltar—butaletterwrittentoWilliamCarlosWilliamsonapaperwiththeletterheadofHotelBristol,Genoa,suggeststhatPoundfirststoppedinItaly,beforecontinuingonwardtoGibraltarandthenSpain.Additionally,therouteofthe“dampferKonigAlbert”stoppedonlyatNewYorkCity,Naples,andGenoa.PoundPapers,BeineckeLibrary,YaleUniversity.

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be,itnonethelessdemonstratesasituationinwhichaccesstoculturalsitesis

fiercelycontrolledbylocalforcesinviolentoppositiontoextra‐localothers.

Althoughtheancientnessoftheplaceisthefeaturevaluedbytheextra‐local

traveler,itisalsothematerialwhichishurledbackathim,onaccountofhis

presumptiontoexcludetheinhabitantsofthatplacefromhisexperienceofit.

PoundgoesonwardtoMadridwhereanother,muchmoreseriousincident

furtherprecipitatesPound’sresponsetotheconflictbetweentheimaginaryspaces

andthematerialconditionsoftheseplaces.3OnMay31,whileobservinganexcited

crowdatthecelebrationsforthemarriageofSpanishKingAlfonsoXIIItoScottish‐

3ThisclippingandtheonethatfollowsarefromthePoundPapersattheBeineckeLibrary,YaleUniversity.Allimagesinthistextarereproducedforacademicpurposes;ifyouarethecopyrightholdertoanyimageincludedhere,pleasecontacttheauthor:edgareduardogarcia@gmail.com.

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bornPrincessVictoriaEugenieofBattenburg,Poundwitnessedtheattempted

regicidebyCatalan

anarchistMateuMorral.

Droppingabombonthe

royalprocessionfroma

balcony,Morralinjured

andkilledseveral

bystanders,inadditiontoa

horse.Laterthatday,

PoundwrotealettertoMr.

Chester,inwhichhe

admitsthatitis“rather

hardtodescribethe

anachronisticpageantry

justafterthereportofthe

bombthrowing.”4Hisabilitytowriteinthewakeofdevastatingpoliticaleventsis

shutdown.Hegoesontodescribeafantasticwishthattheanarchistswouldbe

givenanislandtothemselves,sothattheycouldneitherharmanybodybut

themselvesnorbenefitfromtheorderofasocietywhichtheyonlycaretodestroy.5

Theunrealisticdreamofsegmentingthepeopleoftheworldinsuchawaythat

conflictswouldbeisolatedtoparty‐specificislands,asappealingasitmightbeeven

4“MadridMay31,’06,”PoundPapers,BeineckeLibrary,YaleUniversity.5Ibid.

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today,onlyrevealsapoliticaltime‐spacethat,forPound,isviewedthroughthelens

ofanidealizedgeography.And,aseventscontinuetorupturetheidealityofPound’s

geography,herevealsthathiscognitivereflextotheseenvironmentaldisruptionsis

flighttoevermoreelaboratedream‐spaces.Inhistravelnotesforthetripthrough

Spain,hewrites,“Spainishellforanyonewhowantstodoanythingnow.Except

perhapstodrinkincolorwithartisticallydreamyvision.”6

Inaletterpostmarkedfrom

MadridonJune8,Poundreiterates

histhoughtsonSpaintohisfather:

HELLGettingreadytoleaveit…Damn.IgotoParistonight.1ststopBurgos.SecondParis.WillseeifIcangetmoredoneatthesquarewhichtherethisplacefitonlytoloafinandnotwellfitforthat[sic].7

Theday‐longstopinBurgoswould

becomethematerialforPound’s

mostvisionaryresponsetothe

politicaldisturbancesthathe

experiencedinSpain,synthesizingthematerialsoftheplaceintoadreamworld.

6“Spain[travelnotes],”ibid.7“June8,”ibid.Image,ibid.

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Themainconceitof“Burgos:ADreamCityofOldCastile”isthatPoundenters

Burgosinadreamstate,throughwhichhecanexperiencetheSpanishtowninthe

presenceofitsmostfamousdenizen,elCidCampeador,theeponymousheroofthe

medievalSpanishepic.LikeelCid,whobeginshissagaofexileandredemptionby

spendinganightoutsideBurgoswithhismen,campedonthe“arenal,”hisheadon

thesandyearth,8Poundbeginshistalebyentering“witharepresentativebodyof

thepopulachothatslumbered.”“Ispentanight,”hewrites,“nexttotheearth.”But

Poundisnotontheearth;rather,heissoaringjustaboveitinanovernighttraincar.

And,indescribingthattrainridethroughthenight,headdsanotherlayerof

metaphorizationtotheimbricatedream‐geographyoftheessay.Alongwiththe

“populacho,”therewas:

abrotherfromSegoviathatopenedhismouthbutonce,andthenonlytoassuretheinquiringheadofawould‐befellow‐compartmenterthat“wealreadystoodeleven,”whichwemanifestlydidnot.Theheaddisappeared,however,andwerumbleddrowsilyalong,pastthetombsoftheEscorial,andintothenight.9

Rumblingpastthetombsofdeadkings,queens,

princes,andprincesses,outsidetheroyal

residencenorthwestofMadrid,thedrowsy

sceneofthedisembodiedheadofatraveler

8PoemadelCid,“CantardelDestierro,”(Madrid1967),lines55‐64.9“Burgos:ADreamCityofOldCastle,”BookNewsMonthly,XXV,no.2(Oct1906),91‐94.ThefamousimageisGustaveDoré’s,fromDanteAlighieri'sInfernofromtheOriginalbyDanteAlighieriandIllustratedwiththeDesignsofGustaveDoré(NewYork,1890).

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tryingtofindaplacetorestreplicatesDante’sencounterinhellwiththebelligerent

troubadourBertrandeBorn,whocarrieshisseveredheadinhandlikealantern

whichgivesnolight.10Theintertextualgeographyoftheessayspatializesseveral

medievalRomanceepicsintoadreamscapeofoldSpain.Inthisdreamscape,Burgos

ariseslikethemountainofPurgatorybetweenhellandheaven.Thisisplainlylaid

outintheessay’sopeningparagraph:

Afteraperiodofunsatisfactorysearchandwanderingthroughthatinexplicablemixtureofhellandparadisewhichnooutlandercanunderstand,butwhichforconveniencewecall“Spainofto‐day,”itisapleasantthingtofindthatthereisadreamSpain,justasrealasSpain’soldsong‐glory,andnomoretaintedwiththeappearanceof

modernitythanatime‐stainedparchmentpsalterleaf.11

Itisworthrememberingthatin

Dante’stheologicalgeography,

Purgatoryistheafterworldmost

similartoEarth,inthatitisa

temporarystate,aplaceof

transitions,arestorativestopon

thewaytoultimatepeaceand

salvation.Pound’sday‐longstop

in“dreamSpain”islikewise

10LaDivinaCommedia,“Inferno,”CantoXXVIII,lines118‐135.11“Burgos:ADreamCityofOldCastle,”BookNewsMonthly,XXV,no.2(Oct1906),91‐94.PicturedhereisPound’soriginaltypescriptfortheessay,storedinthePoundPapers,BeineckeLibrary,YaleUniversity.

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positionedonacontinuumwithafarendextendingintopoesisandmyth,andthe

oppositeendflyingawayfromthepoliticaldisturbancesandtheviolenceinthe

streetsthathehadexperiencedinhistrip.

ButtheimpellingendofPound’s“dreamSpain,”the“pleasantthingtofind”

afterthe“periodofunsatisfactorysearchandwandering,”isnotinabsolute

oppositiontothematerialsofPound’sworld.Indescribingapalaceseenthrough

thedreamy,grayhazeandthelineofpoplartrees,whichhesawfromthetrainasit

leftMadrid,hecomparesthevisiontotheart­nouveauillustrationsofpopular

magazineartist,ElizabethShippenGreen,andthedepictionsoflandscapeinthe

backgroundofthepaintingsofroyaltybyDiegoVelásquez,whichhehadseenatthe

Prado(thedreamycitycanbeseeninthecloudybackgroundofbothworks):12

12TheimageontheleftisShippenGreen’s“TheJourney,”publishedinHarper’s,Vol.108,No.5(NewYork1903).TheimageontherightisVelásquez’“RetratoEcuestredeFelipeIII.”

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And,laterintheessay,heclaimsthatelCid’ssubterfugeofpawningachestofsand

saidtobefilledwithgoldtotheJewswasinfactthe“therecordofthefirst

successfuldealofthisbanditCassieChadwick,”theCanadiancon‐artistwho

defraudedseveralU.S.banksbyclaimingtobeAndrewCarnegie’sillegitimate

daughterandheiress.BlendingpopularAmericanfiguresandfolkcelebritiesintoa

dreamvisionofSpain,whichissupposedtobe“nomoretaintedwiththe

appearanceofmodernitythanatime‐stainedparchmentpsalterleaf,”wouldseem

tobeacontradictioninthetermsofPound’sdream.Thevisioncoupleslocaland

transnationalfigureswiththefluiditycharacteristicofhislaterworks,especiallythe

Cantos,buttheproblemisthatthishorizontal,trans‐scalarculturalfieldishardly

“[un]taintedwiththeappearanceofmodernity.”ThepalimpsestofBurgosthat

arises,likeamountainofPurgatoryfromthepitofhell,isratherareactive

beautificationofthecollisionoflocalandextra‐local,orinternational,forces.Itis,as

heputsit,“justasrealasSpain’soldsong‐glory,”astatementthatrequiresa

concessionthatoldsong‐gloryisarealthinginordertoadmitthatSpain,thatis

Pound’s“dreamSpain,”wasarealexperience.“Justas,”thelevelingcomparativeof

degreeofequivalence,flattensoutincompatabilityandeverydifferencebetween

theSpainofRomanceepics,Pound’s“dreamSpain,”andthehistorical,modernizing

Spainof1906.But,insubsumingthelatterSpainintohisdream,Poundnotonly

subordinatesrealityinordertoprojecthisvisionforthereader,hemust

additionallydefendhisvisionfromthepeskybeastofmodernity,whichfrequently

popsupasiftoswallowthenarrative.

Garcia 10

Inhisminiaturetome,TheFiveParadoxesofModernity,AntoineCompagnon

identifiesanartisticreflexthatwasprecipitatedbytheneedforavant­gardeartists

oftheearly20ctoreconcilethecontradictoryimpulsesofaffirmingtheir‘newness’

whilenegatingthathistoryismovingforward.Asaresult,anarrativewascreated

thatvaluedartasdialecticofpurification:theartist’sjobwastofindnewwaysto

revealthat,whichhadalwaysbeenthere.13Theparadox,however,isthatassoonas

thenewwaywas

discovered,its

identificationasan

advancefrom

traditionreifiedthe

tradition,

conventionalized

thecreation,and

privilegedwhatever

wouldcomenext.

Modernaesthetics

wasalwaystrailing

justbehindlifein

modernity.EzraPound’snarrativeinBurgossimilarlyattemptstodrawoutadream

fromthechaosofmodernlife,butdoessobypullingamodernisticpalimpsestfrom

theSpanishtown.Modernity,inotherwords,controlstheconventionsofPound’s

13The5ParadoxesofModernity,trans.FrankinPhilip(NewYork1994),38‐9.

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dreamscapefromtheoutset.14AsheclimbsthehillcrestslopingupwardtoBurgos’

north‐west,“takenup,”asheputsitinDantescangeography,“intoaveryhigh

mountain,”heexperiencestheterracesofanimaginedParadiso.Butrealityirrupts

insofarastheseterraceswerethelinesofdefensescarpedintothehillwallby

Napoleon’sbesiegedarmyin1812:15

14TheillustrationonthepreviouspageisbyMassimoTosiandwasaccessedathttp://www.worldofdante.org/purgatory1_detail.htmlonMarch25,2010.15TheimageistakenfromCharlesJ.Esdaile’s“TheCastleatBurgos:APreliminaryReport,”accessedatpeninsularwar200.org/burgoscastlereport.pdfonMarch25,2010.Theimageonthenextpage,whichshowsagainthedefensivescarpingofthehillsidesbytheFrencharmyinthePeninsularWar,isJosepBernatFlaugier’s“EscenadelaGuerradelFrancès,”accessedathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Escena_de_la_Guerra_del_Franc%C3%A8s.jpgonMarch25,2010.

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TheremindersoftheNapoleonicWars,widelyrecognizedasthefirstmodernwarof

aglobalscale,againdisturb

thenarrativeastheDante‐

liketravelerrecountsthe

artifactsrevealedtohimon

hisvoyage:“Iwasshown

posternwicketsandold

stonecannonballs,deep

wellsandsecretstairs.”Pound’sdreamgeographyisdisintegratedbythetracesofa

gruesome,internationalconflictandstillhestrugglestowraptheexperienceinthe

restorativeshroudofadream.

ReachingforsomethingakintowhatDanteinPurgatorytermed‘active’

religion,Pound’sdescriptionsofthereligioussitesatBurgosvaluetheimmediate,

transfixingqualityofelementalforcesexperiencedatthesites.Thewonderofthe

cathedralofBurgosistheunobstructed“lightoftheSpanishmorning…[the]white

crownofGod’ssunlight”thatstreamsuponworshippersin“homageofnoonday.”

Dante’sconceptofvaluingthelivingstrengthofreligiousexperienceisreworkedby

Poundtovaluethereligiousexperienceoflivemoments—especiallythose

channeledbyaestheticappreciationofgeo‐hierophany.Followingfromthis,hecalls

the“GoldenStairwayoftheHighDoor”inthecathedralacunning“bitofwitchery,”

comparabletothe“Dianastatueinthe“Brut,”‘whithercameallthewonder‐crafty

men.’”CribbingapassagefromLayamon’sBrut,Poundelidestherathersuggestive

linesthatfollow:

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iwitenofþanþincge: þatwerentocomende. Sheohawoldecuþe: midtockneandswesene: waniwerena‐slepe.16Desiringtoknowofthethingsthataretocome,thewonder‐craftymenreceive

revelationsfromDianaintheirdreamswhiletheysleep.Awonder‐craftymaninhis

ownright,Poundweavestogetherhisownmulti‐traditionalpoeticbitofwitchery:

incorporatingtheChristiancathedralspaceintoaMiddleEnglishRomanceepic

aboutthemythicalTrojanfounderofEngland,whereinpriestspayhomagetothe

RomangoddessDiana,asrecountedbyanAmericantravelerinoldCastile.The

tightlycontrolledcollisionofmultiplepoeticreferents,deployedasa“bitof

witchery”meanttoactivateasacredexperienceoftheelementsforthereader,is

itselfakindofprolepsisinpoesis,anticipatingtheaestheticofPound’slaterwork,

especiallyTheCantos.

Pound’sdreamscape,inthisearlyiteration,mapsculturebutfindsthat

culture,initsmaterialexistenceresistsvisionarymapping.ThecityofBurgoscan

neverbemeredream.Whilethepoetfortifieshisvisionwiththeworkofpoetic

production,thematerialrealityofmodernitycollidesmoreintenselywiththe

boundariesofthepoet’sBurgos“ofoldsongglory”andoftherisingmountainof

Purgatory.Insuchacollision,thepoettightensthereferentialfield,compressinghis

metaphorsandthedreamvision,asiftostreamlineanadvanceinabattleagainst

themodernworld.Paradoxically,thismoveprecipitatestheentryofmodernity’s

16Layamon’sBrut,orChronicleofBritain;APoeticalSemi­SaxonParaphraseofTheBrutofWace,Vol.I,ed.SirFredericMadden(London1847),lines1155‐1160.

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materialsintotheadvanceandthepoetisleftreachingforhierophanyinan

experienceoftheelementsofthenaturalenvironment,therawstrengthoflife.

Thirty‐nineyearslater,herecountstheearlyexperienceinSpainfromaU.S.Army

detentionfacilitynorthofPisa:

ZeusliesinCeres’bosomTaishanisattendedofloves UnderCythera,beforesunriseAndhesaid:“Hayaquimuchocatolicismo—(sounded catolithismo) ymuypocoreliHion”andhesaid:“Yocreoquelosreyesdesaparecen”(Kingswill,Ithink,disappear)ThatwasPadreJoseElizondo In1906...17

WhereasthepoethadtoleaveBurgosintheprotectiveveilofasiesta,here,thepoet

isawakeinthepre‐dawnhour.Theplaceissublimatedtopurevisionandyetthe

poetisnotasleep.Mt.Taishan,unlikeMt.Purgatory,isaphysicalrealityanda

contextforthevisionaryimpulseofapoetamidgeopoliticalcollision.Poundonce

remarkedthathe“begantheCantosabout1904.”18Datingthegenesisofhis

monumentalworktohistimeatHamiltonCollege,wherehebeganpiecingtogether

theculturalfieldthatwouldobsesshimfortherestofhislife,wemightdatethe

earliestiterationoftheprojecttothesummerof1906.Inanymanner,wemight

gainagreatersenseofPound’spoeticsofplace,orevenplaceaspoetics,by

consideringhisgreatpoemas,invariousaspects,amodifieddreamvision.

17TheCantos(NewYork,1970),81:lines1‐9.18QuotedinPeterAckroyd,EzraPoundandhisWorld(NewYork,1980),12.