The Solar Gods in Poem The Cantos by Ezra Pound

Abstract

This article presents an overview of the most significant references to solar gods in American author E. Pound's poem The Cantos. It provides a consistent analysis of the key themes and motifs of ancient Greek mythology associated with the image of Helios, who occupies a central place among the solar deities in the text of the work. Intertextual connections with the Neoplatonic emperor Julian The Apostate work are revealed. In addition, such pretexts in the interpretation of the image of Helios as Homer's Odyssey, Ovid's Metamorphoses, Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy are revealed. Attention is paid to identifications of Helios with deities representing other cultural and religious traditions – Christ, Apollo (Phoebus), and Mithras – and to the connections between cultures and eras achieved in this way. The connection between the images of solar gods and Neoplatonic categories and ideas about the world order is traced. A conclusion is drawn regarding the specific interpretation of mythological material in E. Pound's poem.