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Lustra

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description Lustra Overview

Lustra (1916) is a poetry collection by Ezra Pound, collecting Imagist and early modernist poems written between 1912 and 1915. The volume includes Pound's free-verse adaptations from Chinese poetry, such as his rewriting of Li Bai's 'The River-Merchant's Wife,' and demonstrates the compressed, image-driven aesthetic central to Imagism. The collection marked Pound's transition from his earlier Pre-Raphaelite-influenced style toward the more experimental techniques that would shape The Cantos.

help Lustra FAQ

Which famous classical Chinese poet's work did Ezra Pound adapt for his collection "Lustra"?

Pound included free-verse adaptations of poems by the Tang dynasty poet Li Bai (whom he called Rihaku). One of the most notable translations in "Lustra" is "The River-Merchant's Wife: A Letter."

In what year was Ezra Pound's "Lustra" first published?

The poetry collection was published in 1916. The poems within the volume were primarily written between 1912 and 1915 during the height of the Imagist movement.

What modernist poetic movement is heavily represented in "Lustra"?

The collection is a foundational text for the Imagist movement, which Pound helped spearhead. The poems emphasize extreme precision of language, clear imagery, and the rhythm of the musical phrase over strict metrical patterns.

Why did the publisher Elkin Mathews censor parts of Ezra Pound's original "Lustra" manuscript?

The publisher famously removed or altered several poems deemed too sexually explicit or satirical for British audiences at the time. Pound was highly irritated by these omissions, which affected poems like "The Temperaments."

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