Ezra Pound’s Hugh Selwyn Mauberley

Abstract

Since its publication, critics have differed over the effectiveness of the persona in Ezra Pound's Hugh Selwyn Mauberley. Some, like Donald Davie, believe that Pound loses control of his mask. Others, like John Espey, have maintained that Pound consistently controls his persona. This question of the relationship between Pound and his mask is important for it necessarily influences the reading. My reading supports Espey's position. I found Mauberley to be an organic composition, balanced in its construction, with a persona (appearing in the second sequence) that is consistently maintained.