Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
In addition to being influenced by Chinese poetry, Pound gained a lot from old Italian poetry. The difference was that Pound actually spoke and read perfect Italian while he barely knew a lick of any of Chinese languages. Ciao, Ezra! (Source.)
In 1915, Pound embarked upon a life-long project of The Cantos, which ultimately involved writing 120 poems. "Cantos" are like chapters in longer poems, but Pound decided to fudge the definition of the word and call his 120 long poems "Cantos." (Source.)
Pound ran into a spot of trouble during World War II. It turns out that he was arrested in Italy and charged with broadcasting Fascist propaganda over the radio. He was acquitted, but confined to a mental institution just the same. (Source.)