Analysis: Ezra Pound's "Portrait d'une Femme"

The first 200 words of this essay...

Bradford, Jennifer

English 451

4 March 2008

Femme d'Influence

With so many poetic, literary devices available to writers, it is not common for an author to use several as tools in the same piece in order to construct his point. Ezra Pound is known for his brilliant use of perfect word combinations, which produce outstanding metaphors that allow a more direct treatment of objects. In Ezra Pound's famous Portrait d'une Femme, he creates a direct treatment of a certain woman. However, without his ingenious use of previously mentioned mechanics, the poem would never have been what it is today. In Portrait d'une Femme, Ezra Pound uses extended metaphors, word choice, and incredible imagery to criticize a woman of high social class.

Pound begins his critique by using a beautiful extended metaphor, comparing this woman to "our Sargasso Sea" (1). By using the word "our," Pound familiarizes himself with the woman he mentions. He makes it known that he is aware of her type, and by doing so he is also gaining insight into the woman's inner wirings which enables him to successfully critique her. The Sargasso Sea is located in what