Ezra Pound and 20th-Century Theories of Language

Ezra Pound is one of the most significant poets of the 20th century; a writer whose poetry is particularly notable for the intensity of its linguistic qualities. This volume explores the development of Pound's understanding of language in the context of linguistics and the philosophy of language.

James Dowthwaite was born and raised in Winchester and studied, first, at Royal Holloway, University of London, before completing his doctorate at The Queen's College, University of Oxford in July 2016. He now teachings English and American literature at the University of Jena, having previously taught at the University of Göttingen. He lives in Heidelberg with his wife.

Introduction: 'The Word Beyond Formulated Language' Chapter 1. 'End Fact. Try Fiction': Post-Philology in Pound's Early Writing Chapter 2 Re-assessing The Chinese Written Character: Language, Consciousness, and Phenomena Chapter 3 'Words So Full of Detail': Paideuma and Linguistic Relativity Chapter 4 Definition and Debabelization: Utopian Language in the Work of Ezra Pound and C.K. Ogden Chapter 5 'In Nature are Signatures': The Problem of Universals in Modernist Poetry Afterword: Pound's Linguistic Legacy