Homage to Sextus Propertius

"Homage to Sextus Propertius" is a poem by Ezra Pound, published in 1919 as part of his collection Quia Pauper Amavi. The poem uses the Roman elegiac poet Sextus Propertius as a lens through which to comment on the British Empire in 1917.1

Sextus Propertius was a prominent Roman elegiac poet of ancient Rome, known for his passionate and often tempestuous love poetry, particularly concerning his mistress Cynthia. Pound's "Homage" draws on Propertius's work to explore themes of empire, art, and the poet's role in society, reflecting Pound's own modernist sensibilities and his engagement with classical literature. The poem is characterized by Pound's distinctive style, which often involved allusions to classical texts and a reinterpretation of historical figures and events.231456