You're a Slave to Money Then You Die

            It is a terrifying thing to read a poem by an anti-Semitic, fascist man and immediately think of one of the most celebrated men in American history. Imagine my utter confusion and alarm when, at the end of "Canto XLV," I could only think of the "I Have a Dream" speech. Why in the world would these two poems, one filled with a longing for peace and the other a seething hatred for money lending, ever be compared? Though the message of this famous speech and this diatribe are different the literary techniques used in both are the reason they struck so similar in my mind.

            Both King and Pound utilize repetition to invoke a sense of building tension in their works. King repeats several times in succession "I have a dream..." in his speech filling those four words with purpose and meaning after each repetition. Pound uses the word "usura" a total of twenty-one times in his poem and a series of repetitions. Although not in the strictest sense, lines 1, 2, 5, 10, 14, 18, 19, and, in all caps, line 23 repeat a drawn out anaphora: "with usura." Then follows four lines, 31 and 32 then 33 and 34, that are just a word away from being anaphora. Directly after an actual anaphore is presented in lines 35 and 36 starting "not by usura." This repetition and partial anaphora gives the poem a cadence and fluidity that takes the place of an actual voice. Repetition is not Pound's only tool however, he also uses enjambment; this 50 line poem has only 5 periods. The lack of punctuation along with the short lines in Pound's poem urges the reader on with a sense of hurried anticipation similar to that felt of King's audience. Just as King emphasizes his words with a raised voice, Pound emphasizes his with bold, uppercase letters standing out at the reader on lines 23 and 47. The words seem to jump out of the poem accusingly snarling the words "WITH USURA" "CONTRA NATURAM." Read together the message is clear; Pound thinks that usury is against nature.

            King and Pound also use allusions that would be relatable to their audience. In his speech King makes allusions to the constitution, Gettysburg Address, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the Declaration of Independence weaving them into his speech to underline and strengthen his message.[1] King's speech becomes even more convincing through using these familiar and powerful documents as proofs of the need for racial harmony. In Pound's poem we are presented with examples of famous works, such as "La Calumnia," and people, such as Agostino di Duccio and Pietro Lombardo, who created without usury, showing that usury is unnecessary and backing his claims that usury dulls productivity and quality.

            There are two people that one would never want to compare or even place in the same category: Ezra Pound and Martin Luther King JR. Yet solid morals and soundness of mind are not requirements of a great speaker or poet. Just as God makes the sun to shine on both the righteous and the unrighteous it seems he also bestows talent on the evil and the blessed.[2]

(Title is a quote from this song.)