Great Artists Always Survive

Thinking coldly, Pound’s judgment that great artists always survive and always will is dubious. Although time often makes corrections to the fortunes of many authors, it is difficult to conclude that it is an infallible avenger. One need only think of the number of lost works from antiquity—a rather forceful objection. But it is also possible to think of the artists who have never been contemplated. How many would there be?… We are forced to admit that luck is always the determining factor.