Olga Rudge & Ezra Pound: "What Thou Lovest Well..."

17
Olga Triumphant
258
1972–1996
A Prize in the Campidoglio
The hospital room was needed. Ezra’s body was taken to the bare
camera ardente, which was opened up for him and then sealed until eight
o’clock the next morning. Olga was not allowed to stay the night. News of
his death went out over radio and television immediately, and soon the
international news services picked it up. Olga was the only eyewitness to
record the scene in the camera ardente and at Pound’s memorial service.
Ezra Pound lay under a tattered but beautiful ancient brocade,
old gold and green, scattered with real roses. His granddaughter
Patrizia whispered, ‘‘Nonno, under his Botticellian cloak.’’ By the
bed . . . candles in silver sconces brought from the Palazzo Ivancich
that had burned there at Christmas gatherings . . . on opposite
sides, two Venetian artists drawing last sketches. The warmth and
informality of ‘‘the Venetian way’’ cancelled out any thought of
‘‘the American way’’ of death. Snatches of conversation: ‘‘. . . and
when Prince Oltrepassino died—a great piece of patterned
brocade—kids running in from the street—a cat sat there licking
himself, then stepped over the prince.’’