Ezra Pound​ is one of the most influential poets of the 20th century. His voice helped shape modern poetry. He worked across cultures and languages. He praised precision in words. He pushed poetry into new forms. But beyond technique, Ezra Pound wrote with feeling. Friendship was one of the emotions that ran deeply through his work.

Friendship for Pound was not always soft or sweet. It could be loyal, challenging, painful, or joyful. He believed in friendship as connection. He believed in friends as fellow seekers of truth and beauty. He honored friends in poems. He criticized them. He missed them. He remembered them. He translated works about friendship from old texts and reshaped them for his time.

Many people think of Ezra Pound as a bold thinker or a political figure. Others remember his role in shaping the work of poets like T.S. Eliot and H.D. But less attention is given to his poems about friendship. These works often reflect his own experience: rich with intellect, emotion, and conflict.

This article explores 20 poems about friendship from Ezra Pound, showing how he captured the bond between souls. Through these poems, we see how friendship stood beside art, loyalty, and even exile in Pound’s long and complex life.

1. “The River-Merchant’s Wife: A Letter”

Though a translation from Li Bai, this poem speaks deeply of longing and closeness. It is written from the point of view of a young wife missing her husband. But it can also be read as a message of separation between friends. The final lines express devotion. The promise to meet halfway is a gesture of true friendship.

2. “Canto LXXXI”

This Canto is one of Pound’s most quoted. It includes reflections from his imprisonment in Pisa. Amid war and failure, Pound turns to those who remained true. He recalls those who offered love or forgiveness. Friendship here is not light—it is earned and valued. He writes of “what thou lovest well” and speaks to inner loyalty.

3. “To H.D.”

This poem is a tribute to Hilda Doolittle, a poet and one of Pound’s earliest companions. Their relationship began in youth and lasted for decades. The poem praises her art and mind. It also carries warmth and respect. This is friendship tied to creativity, rooted in time.

4. “Ancient Music”

This short poem uses repetition and song to echo old tunes. It celebrates voices rising together. Though it does not name a friend, it gives a sense of shared memory and joy. The rhythm itself suggests the comfort of company.

5. “Envoi” (from Personae)

In this poem, Pound sends words to a friend. He speaks of parting but also of hope. The poem is light but carries a core of care. It shows how friends may be apart yet remain joined in heart and thought.

6. “A Pact”

In this brief piece, Pound addresses Walt Whitman. He opens with a firm tone, saying he once disliked Whitman’s style. But then he admits his debt. He calls for peace and unity. He reaches out as a fellow poet and friend across time. This is friendship through respect.

7. “Histrion”

The poem explores the role of the artist. It speaks of masks and the cost of performance. Beneath the lines is a sense of someone speaking to a companion who understands. Friendship here is quiet understanding in a world of display.

8. “Provincia Deserta”

This work deals with loneliness and fading places. But it also holds fragments of past closeness. The ruins and empty fields suggest the loss of friendships. The tone is not bitter but remembering. Memory becomes a friend in absence.

9. “Ts’ai Chi’h”

Another poem based on ancient Chinese texts, this piece praises the peace of good company. Pound translated the lines with care. The result is calm and spare. It shows friendship as a place to rest and reflect.

10. “Homage to Sextus Propertius”

Pound brings the Roman poet Propertius to modern English. In these lines, friendship appears in flashes—fellow artists, shared wine, spoken truth. Pound’s voice becomes one of old comrades talking freely. This translation becomes a celebration of timeless bonds.

11. “Ballad of the Goodly Fere”

This poem imagines Jesus through the eyes of a close friend. It presents him not as a distant figure, but as a bold and trusted man. The speaker honors loyalty, courage, and deep care. Pound uses the voice of a companion to show the strength of friendship.

12. “In Durance”

This early poem speaks of restriction. But it also mentions a shared moment. Even in a dark place, a memory of a friend gives light. The tone is somber yet comforted. A friend’s presence remains even in silence.

13. “Hugh Selwyn Mauberley” (Parts I–II)

This work criticizes modern culture but also remembers past friends. Pound reflects on what once mattered and those who shared his hopes. Some friends have failed. Some are gone. But the poem keeps their voices alive.

14. “The Garden”

Though focused on a solitary woman, this poem has moments of longing for connection. The figure seeks someone who understands. Pound’s empathy shows. Friendship, even with a stranger, is a healing force.

15. “Canto XIII”

This Canto includes Confucian ideals. It speaks of proper conduct, justice, and harmony. Friendship appears as part of order and respect. Pound praises clarity in relationships. True friendship follows truth.

16. “The Garret”

In this small poem, Pound describes a tiny room full of dreams. Friends share poverty and hope. Their love for poetry is their bond. The room is poor, but the spirit is rich. This is friendship built on shared vision.

17. “Exile’s Letter”

Another work inspired by ancient Chinese poetry, this piece tells of a man far from home. He recalls a dear friend left behind. The voice is full of emotion. The final lines promise reunion. Distance does not end true friendship.

18. “Canto XLV” (With Usura)

This is a protest against the corruption of art by money. While not about friendship in the usual way, it shows care for fellow artists. It defends the soul of creation. Pound’s anger comes from love—for friends, for beauty, for truth.

19. “Salutation the Second”

This poem addresses those who criticize art or live blindly. Pound turns to his “friends” in poetry and thought. He stands beside them, calling out the false. Friendship here is fierce and clear-eyed.

20. “Canto CXVI”

Written late in life, this poem is full of regret and reflection. Pound speaks of confusion and silence. Yet he remembers those who stayed with him. He gives thanks. He honors loyalty. The poem becomes a final gift to old friends.

Conclusion: Friendship as Art and Truth

Ezra Pound explored friendship from many angles. He wrote as a friend, a rival, a guide, and sometimes as one left alone. His poems show that friendship is not always easy. It is full of joy, but also struggle. It asks for truth and offers strength.

In these 20 poems about friendship from Ezra Pound, we see a mind reaching out to others. We see a heart trying to understand. We hear a voice that values loyalty, honesty, and shared purpose.

Through translation, reflection, and imagination, Pound’s poems continue to speak of connection. They remind us that even in the hardest times, friendship remains a force. It lifts, it challenges, and it endures.