list of illustrations acknowledgements introduction part one: the writer and his sethng chronological table 1 biographical background- a man on whom the sun has gone down’ ‘born in a half savage country’ ‘this damn’d profession of writing’ ‘drinking the tone of things’ ‘full impetus of vehement will’ ‘a(chǎn)bstract yatter’ ‘a(chǎn) blown husk that is finished’ 2 literary, cultural and political background wearing masks making it new: the ‘isms’ of modernism the chinese connection: language, poetry, philosophy economic politics sexual politics part two: critical survey personae imagism in practice cathay homage to sextus propertius hugh selwyn mauberley the cantos the nature of the cantos the sections of the cantos the language of the cantos aspects of the cantos ~ conclusion contents part three: reference section brief biographies gazetteer bibliography further reading index