Ezra Weston Loomis Pound is generally regarded as a commanding and prominent literary figure of the 20th century. He was a critic, well-known American poet, and fascist collaborator during World War 2. He wrote 'A Girl' by using his iconic imagism. He is referring to Greek Mythology Apollo, the sun god, and Daphne, a nymph, but due to the extreme brevity of Pound, the poem has many contemporary interpretations.
Though the poem has a strong basis in mythology, the critics seem divided on whether the true interpretation of this poem lies in mythology or is a lesson on childhood imagination; it is possible that Pound had both meanings in mind. According to me, Pound refers to the common Greek mythology and my interpretation will also revolve around the myth. It will be better to give an overview of the Greek myth, and the love story of Apollo and Daphne.
According
to Greek mythology, Apollo was the god of the sun and poetry, and he has to
pull the sun in his 4-horse chariot every day while on the other hand, Daphne,
a nymph was the daughter of a river god. Daphne was famous for her utmost
beauty and attraction. She tries to be a virgin for the rest of her life and
gets successful. It is generally believed that Apollo once made a mockery of
Eros, the sun of love that he lost his power. Eros retaliated very aggressively
and hit two arrows, one struck Apollo and made him fall in love with Daphne,
and a lead arrow made Daphne hate Apollo. Apollo followed Daphne
consistently and ran after her like mad. Daphne as we aforesaid that was the
daughter of Peneus, the river god, asking help from her father to preserve her
virginity.
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Her
father finally transformed her body into a small plant with an amazing smell.
Apollo comes nearer to her and finally, the flight was arrested, as her feet
took root in the ground. Her body dwindled, her arms shot up, and as Apollo
seized her in his arms, he found himself grasping a bush of laurel with shining
leaves the color of Daphne's dark-green hair. It’s believed in Greek mythology
that Daphne has to sacrifice her body and turn it into a tree as this was the only
way she could avoid Apollo’s sexual advances. After that Apollo in sorrow wears
the bark clothes.
Now
come to the poem and try to relate the text with the aforesaid context.
The tree has entered my hands,
The sap has ascended my arms,
The tree has grown in my breast-
Downward,
The branches grow out of me, like arms.
Here Ezra Pound used split narration. It seems that the first stanza is narrated by Daphne and the second from the perspective of a third-person onlooker, likely Apollo. The poem’s imagery in metaphorical terms seems easy yet passionate, living yet inanimate, tender yet strong, and soft yet seething. In the first stanza, Daphne is sharing her feelings when being transformed. it can also represent a girl wanting to break free, to escape her life, just like a poem, a way of putting everything on hold and expressing differently what we feel about things. She is saying that her hands are converting into a tree and shots up in her arms. Her feet are deeply rooted to the ground. This short discussion can easily be linked with the context, Greek mythology.
The tree you are,
Moss, you are,
You are violets with wind above them.
A child - so high - you are,
And all this is folly to the world.
The second stanza is the perspective of Apollo, the sun god, who fell in love with Daphne. Here the poet describes a kind of violation that seems very fragile even in the wind, surrounds the tree. He considered it nothing but foolishness. The poet uses “A child—so high—you are/and this is folly to the world” to depict Apollo’s distress following Daphne’s alteration into a tree just to show her hatred that she kept for Apollo.
In my opinion, it's another interpretation maybe like what I understand from this short but in-explicit poem.
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Ezra Pound has tried to signify to his readers that she is distinct from others girls (The Daphne). The difference is analogized by vegetation that develops on her body. Her flaws good or bad progressively become more apparent to the world as a tree begins to grow from her hands downward. She illustrates how the wings grow out and extrude themselves for the world to see.
Her fault becomes more visible as Pound analogizes more plants. When the poet states You are violets with wind above them./A child so high you are, He is implying that she is proud of her fault. He ends the poem explaining how this blemish is an absurdity to the world, meaning that the world rejects to accept his uniqueness. Ezra Pound is proud of his defect.
The poem is interpreted by, MSM YAQOOB, the CEO, and Founder of this platform.
