1885-1972. US poet, who lived in London from
1908. His Personae and Exultations 1909
established the principles of the Imagist
movement. His largest work was the series of
Cantos 1925-1969 (intended to number 100),
which attempted a massive reappraisal of
history. In Paris 1921-25, he was a friend of
the writers Gertrude Stein and Ernest
Hemingway. He then settled in Rapallo, Italy.
His anti-Semitism and sympathy with the
fascist dictator Mussolini led him to
broadcast from Italy in World War II, and he
was arrested by US troops 1945. Found unfit
to stand trial, he was confined in a mental
hospital until 1958. His first completely
modern poem was Hugh Selwyn Mauberley 1920.
He also wrote versions of Old English,
Provencal, Chinese, ancient Egyptian, and
other verse.