The Complete Prose of T. S. Eliot: The Critical EditionVol. 2: The Perfect Critic, 1919-1926

Mr. Pound and His Poetry: To the Editor of The Athenaeum

The Athenaeum, 4671 (7 Nov 1919) 1163

Sir, – Mr. Pound’s letter of last week appears to me quite superfluous. ¹ It is perfectly obvious that he must have been indebted to someone, unless he is a Chinese scholar, which nobody supposes; I am perfectly willing to believe that his creditor is the late Mr. Fenollosa; but the gist of my criticism is that Mr. Pound is less indebted to previous translators – Giles and Legge – than subsequent translators are indebted to Mr. Pound. ²

As for his suspicion that I did not enjoy his Propertius, I did not think the question of public interest: his non plebecula gaudet. ³

I am, Sir, yours, etc., t. s. e.