Ezra Pound: Poems Lesson Plan

What is the significance of the medallion?

Part II of “Hugh Selwyn Mauberley” begins and ends with the image of a medallion or a coin. It starts with a reference to the “head/ Of Messalina,” the wife of Roman Emperor Claudius, whose face was engraved on coins. This is confirmed in Section II when Pound mentions “curious heads in medallion.” The significance is revealed when he writes that “his tool / [was] The engraver’s.” That is, engraving, as done on medallions, is the poetic process for Pound. It is painstaking, difficult, and most importantly lasting. This symbol is clearly important as “Medallion” is the title for the concluding section of this lengthy poem. There...