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Just to say that if we speak of Pound as a radical force we need to acknowledge that in him which is the complete opposite of radical. Not all poets stretch their inner contradictions to such extremes, but many do, and those who don’t tend not to issue edicts. Personally I feel completely free to use the words truth and beauty, and to believe in them both as values. Otherwise I might as well play the kazoo for the rest of my life. A good exercise is to flagrantly flaunt every command you can find: “A poem should not mean but be”, all of Pound’s how to write poetry stuff... Basil Bunting told us to be wary of adjectives. In his best known poem the first line has four words, two of which are adjectives. Lesson: poets (and others) including eminent poets, frequently speak through their hats. Sorry if I sound acrid; I just got back from watching the vandalised version of Yerma. There are sometimes reasons for detesting modernity. This place is a harbour of civilised consideration. I might say something before long. PR