Ezra Pound's "Canto I" opens with the following lines: "And then went down to the ship,/Set keel to breakers, forth on the godly sea, and(...)." Which of the following statements best characterizes these lines and the poem as a whole ?
Correct answer: A. These lines set an impersonal tone which dominates the entire poem.
- A. These lines set an impersonal tone which dominates the entire poem.
- B. These lines establish a rhythmical pattern, which is followed strictly throughout the poem.
- C. These lines are the only impersonal lines in the poem, the rest of which is primarily focused on the complexity of human emotions.
- D. These lines establish a personal tone, focusing on a lyrical perspective similar to late-Victorian era poetry.
Explanation
The opening translates an episode from Homer’s Odyssey and establishes the poem’s detached, epic, historical manner. The Canto does not maintain one strictly regular rhythm or a consistently personal late-Victorian voice.
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