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Ezra Pound

One of the most famous and controversial literary figures of the twentieth century, Ezra Pound was praised as a subtle and complex modern poet, dismissed as a naive egotist and pedant, and later condemned as a

Villanelle: The Psychological Hour

by Ezra Pound (1885–1972)

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16

I had over-prepared the event,

that much was ominous.

With middle-ageing care

I had laid out just the right books.

I had almost turned down the pages.

Beauty is so rare a thing.

So few drink of my fountain.

So much barren regret,

So many hours wasted!

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