Landscapes and Taoism in Ezra Pound’s Cantos

Abstract

The paper seeks to discuss the Taoist elements in the evocation of Chinese landscapes in Pound’s Cantos 4 and 49. Canto 4’s Peach Blossom Poetics is believed to be the first under the Tianyuan of Chinese landscape poetry initiated by Tao Yuanming (365–427). This type of poetry shows the pastoral, tranquil life of natural beauty. The settings are domestic and localized, most being backyards, small rivers, huts or countryside. The images in Tianyuan poetry are serene and peaceful with no impositions of the human. They tend to explicitly focus on the scene itself rather than on the viewers or any human elements. On the other hand, Canto 49’s Seven Lakes represents the Shanshui poetry that originated from the works of Xie Linyun(385–433). This type of work displays adventurous treks through beautiful and untamed mountainous regions. In spite of their seemingly different settings, the essence of the two styles is the same. The two cantos elucidate the Taoist philosophy of “non-action,” which follows the effortless and spontaneous movement of nature. These two landscapes represent the glimpses of the tranquil, temporary paradiso that Pound has been attempting to reach throughout his poetic career.