- Scope and Contents
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The Ezra Pound Papers document the life and career of the poet Ezra Pound. The papers span the dates 1868-1976, but the bulk of the material covers the years 1918-1960.
The papers are arranged in six series. Series I, General Correspondence consists of alphabetically arranged correspondence to and from Ezra Pound. Series II, Family Correspondence is composed of chronologically arranged correspondence to Homer and Isabel Pound from Ezra Pound. Series III, Family Correspondence With Others contains alphabetically arranged correspondence sent to Homer and Isabel Pound. Series IV, Manuscripts, consists of manuscripts arranged by title, surname, or subject, written by Ezra Pound. Manuscripts written by others are arranged by author at the end of the series. Series V, Personal and Financial Documents, is composed of the financial and personal papers of Ezra Pound. Series VI, Printed Material, contains printed material relating to Ezra Pound.
Series I, General Correspondence , consists of alphabetically arranged correspondence to and from Ezra Pound spanning the years 1868-1976. The material is arranged chronologically within each folder. Pound corresponded with many writers, poets, and critics throughout his life and his letters discuss a variety of topics, including history, politics, art, economics, music, and poetry. Individuals of interest include Richard Aldington, Natalie Barney, Sylvia Beach, Basil Bunting, Jean Cocteau, E. E. Cummings, H.D., T. S. Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, James Laughlin, Wyndham Lewis, Archibald Macleish, Marianne Moore, H. L. Mencken, John Quinn, W. B. Yeats, and Louis Zukofsky. Other correspondents include George Antheil, Sir Max Beerbohm, William Bird, Constantin Brancusi, Mary Butts, Nancy Cunard, Eva Hesse, Robert McAlmon, Benito Mussolini, and Norman Holmes Pearson.
Pound acted as a contributor and editor for many publications, including Poetry, The Dial, The Little Review, Hound and Horn, The Townsman, and Four Pages.
Series II, Family Correspondence , consists of chronologically arranged photocopies of letters to Homer and Isabel Pound from Ezra Pound, spanning the years 1895-1948. Series III, Family Correspondence With Others , houses alphabetically arranged letters to Pound's parents, spanning the years 1906-1944, from non-family members including T. S. Eliot, H.D., John Quinn, May Sinclair, and W. B. Yeats.
Series IV, Manuscripts , consists of writings arranged in a single alphabetical sequence combining titles, surnames, and subjects. For instance, the section devoted to the cantos is arranged numerically by canto, while A Lume Spento is arranged by poem. The section concerning Radio is divided into alphabetically arranged sections. In addition to writings by Pound, the series holds manuscripts written by others and sent to Pound. Included are manuscripts by Richard Aldington, J. P. Angold, D. G. Bridson, Basil Bunting, E. E. Cummings, H.D., Eva Hesse, Paul Morand, William Carlos Williams, and W. B. Yeats, as well as a group of manuscripts which Pound submitted to The Dial.
Series V, Personal and Financial Documents , is composed of personal papers relating to Ezra Pound, spanning the years 1914-1961. The Series contains addresses, identification cards, calling cards, bills and receipts, and royalty statements.
Series VI, Printed Material , is arranged into three subseries: Ephemera and Periodical Contributions; Periodicals; and Newspapers. The first subseries contains printed ephemera and periodical contributions by Pound (including translations of works by Pound) that are described fully in Donald Gallup, Ezra Pound, A Bibliography (Charlottesville, 1983), and these have been arranged by Gallup bibliographic number. Periodicals contains issues of periodicals owned and/or annotated by Pound, and these have been arranged alphabetically by periodical title. The final subseries, Newspapers, consists of alphabetically arranged issues of newspapers, many of which contain Pound contributions or annotations. As all of the material in this subseries is oversize, the full listing for these items is found at the end of Oversize.
Series VII, Scrapbooks, contains scrapbooks that were kept by Pound's father, Homer Pound. Series VIII, Clippings and Ephemera, contains newspaper clippings and other printed items collected by Ezra Pound.
Oversize material in series order is housed in 42 boxes at the end of the collection. - Conditions Governing Access
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The materials are open for research.
Boxes 277-279: Restricted fragile material. Reference surrogates have been substituted in the main files. For further information consult the appropriate curator. - Conditions Governing Use
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The Ezra Pound Papers are the physical property of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the appropriate curator.
- Immediate Source of Acquisition
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The papers were purchased from the estate of Ezra Pound and the poet's daughter, Mary de Rachewiltz, in 1973.
- Dates
- 1868-1976
- Extent
- 203.4 Linear Feet (300 boxes)
- Related Names
- Pound, Ezra, 1885-1972
- Language of Materials
- English