‘These fought in any case’ by Ezra Pound — Analysis & Translation

Original Poem

‘These fought in any case’ from Hugh Selwyn Mauberley Ezra Pound 4 These fought in any case, and some believing, pro domo, in any case ... Some quick to arm, some for adventure, 5 some from fear of weakness, some from fear of censure, some for love of slaughter, in imagination, learning later ... some in fear, learning love of slaughter; 10 Died some, pro patria, non ‘dulce’ non ‘et décor’ … walked eye-deep in hell believing in old men’s lies, then unbelieving came home, home to a lie, 15 home to many deceits, home to old lies and new infamy; usury age-old and age-thick and liars in public places. Daring as never before, wastage as never before. 20 Young blood and high blood, fair cheeks, and fine bodies; fortitude as never before frankness as never before, disillusions as never told in the old days, 25 hysterias, trench confessions, laughter out of dead bellies. 5 There died a myriad, And of the best, among them, For an old bitch gone in the teeth, 30 For a botched civilization, Charm, smiling at the good mouth, Quick eyes gone under earth’s lid, For two gross of broken statues, For a few thousand battered books. 35

Translation (English)

These fought anyway, and some believing, for their own sake, anyway... Some quick to arm, some for adventure, some from fear of being weak, some from fear of criticism, some for love of killing, in imagination, learning later... some in fear, learning love of killing; Some died for their country, not 'sweet' not 'and fitting'... walked deeply in hell believing in old men's lies, then disbelieving came home, home to a lie, home to many deceits, home to old lies and new disgrace; financial exploitation age-old and thick and liars in public places. Daring as never before, waste as never before. Young blood and noble blood, beautiful faces, and fine bodies; courage as never before honesty as never before, disappointments as never told in the old days, hysterias, trench confessions, laughter from dead bodies. Many died, and of the best, among them, For an old dog with bad teeth, For a ruined civilization, Charm, smiling at the good mouth, Quick eyes gone under the earth, For two dozen broken statues, For a few thousand damaged books.

About the Poet

Ezra Pound (Modernist)

Ezra Weston Loomis Pound (1885–1972) was an American poet and critic, a major figure in the early modernist poetry movement. He was influential in developing Imagism and helped shape the work of contemporaries such as T.S. Eliot and James Joyce. His later years were marked by controversial political views and activities.

Historical Context

Literary Form: Modernist poetry
When Written: 1920
Background: Hugh Selwyn Mauberley is a reflection on the disillusionment and cultural bankruptcy following World War I. Pound critiques the motivations behind the war and the societal values that led to such destruction. The poem reflects his anger towards the war and the financial systems he believed were responsible.

Sources: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44915/hugh-selwyn-mauberley-part-i, https://allpoetry.com/These-Fought-In-Any-Case, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ezra_Pound

Detailed Explanation

Ezra Pound's poem 'These fought in any case' from 'Hugh Selwyn Mauberley' is a critique of the motivations and consequences of World War I. The poem reflects on the various reasons people went to war, ranging from personal beliefs to societal pressures, and the disillusionment that followed. Pound uses phrases like 'pro domo' and 'pro patria' to highlight the personal and national justifications for war, while also mocking the notion of dying for one's country as 'sweet and fitting' (a reference to the Latin phrase 'Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori'). The poem conveys a sense of betrayal and disillusionment with the 'old men's lies' and the societal structures that led to such destruction. It also touches on the physical and emotional toll of war, with references to 'young blood' and 'disillusions as never told.' The imagery of 'broken statues' and 'battered books' symbolizes the cultural and intellectual losses incurred. Overall, the poem is a powerful commentary on the futility and devastation of war, reflecting Pound's modernist perspective and his critique of contemporary society.

Themes

Literary Devices

Word Dictionary

Word	Meaning	Translation	Transliteration
pro domo	for one's own home	for personal benefit	pro doh-moh
pro patria	for one's country	for the nation	pro pah-tree-ah
dulce	sweet	sweet	dool-cheh
decor	fitting	fitting	deh-kor
usury	lending money at high interest	lending money at high interest	yoo-zuh-ree
infamy	disgrace	disgrace	in-fuh-mee
fortitude	courage	courage	for-ti-tood
disillusions	loss of beliefs	loss of beliefs	dis-il-loo-zhuns
myriad	many	many	mir-ee-uhd
botched	ruined	poorly done	botchd
gross	large quantity	a dozen dozen (144)	grohs