Harriet Monroe, ed. (1860–1936). The New Poetry: An Anthology. 1917.

Dogmatic Statement Concerning the Game of Chess: Theme for a Series of Pictures

Ezra Pound

RED knights, brown bishops, bright queens,

Striking the board, falling in strong “l”s of color,

Reaching and striking in angles,
holding lines in one color.

This board is alive with light;
these pieces are living in form,

Their moves break and reform the pattern:
Luminous green from the rooks,

Clashing with “x”s of queens,
looped with the knight-leaps.

“Y” pawns, cleaving, embanking!

Whirl! Centripetal! Mate! King down in the vortex,

Clash, leaping of bands, straight stripe of hard color,

Blocked light working in. Escapes. Renewing of contest.