If a man have not order within him
He can not spread order about him;
And if a man have not order within him
His family will not act with due order;
And if the prince have not order within him
He can not put order in his dominions." - Meaning and context.">
Canto XIII

If a man have not order within him
He can not spread order about him
;
And if a man have not order within him
His family will not act with due order;
And if the prince have not order within him
He can not put order in his dominions.

— Ezra Pound

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "If a man have not order within him
He can not spread order about him
;
And if a man have not order within him
His family will not act with due order;
And if the prince have not order within him
He can not put order in his dominions." in the context of "Canto XIII" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Quote Image
Source: Wikiquote: "Ezra Pound" (Quotes, The Cantos) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Ezra Pound

About Ezra Pound

Ezra Pound (October 30, 1885 – November 1, 1972) was an American expatriate poet, musician and critic who was a major figure of the Modernist movement in early to mid-20th century poetry. He was the driving force behind several Modernist movements including Imagism and Vorticism.