The Goodly Fere: The Rugged Christ of Ezra Pound — and the Hope of Resurrection
- Ken Kalis
- Sep 19, 2025
- 4 min read
A great poem but a greater poet wrote this in 1909.
He was a superstar in the literary world, led a sinful life, and turned to Confucianism.
Late in life (1960), he found that Confucianism provided "No refuge for Sinners" to whom one could appeal.
He appealed to that One, and Jesus took him back.
This thrills my heart! Isn't Jesus Wonderful?
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.- Jesus in John 6:37
When most people picture Jesus, the image is often soft: a pale figure in a stained-glass window, gentle and almost fragile. But Ezra Pound, (1885-1972) one of the early modernist poets, saw Him differently. In 1909, he wrote a striking piece called “Ballad of the Goodly Fere.”
It’s not a Sunday-school portrait. Instead, Pound gives us Jesus as a comrade — hearty, bold, alive. A man who laughed with His friends, spoke with fire, and faced death with the courage of a warrior.
A Poem in Ballad Form
“Ballad of the Goodly Fere” is written in the style of an old English ballad, with a follower of Jesus Christ* (4BC-70AD) looking back on his Master:
A strong companion: Jesus is remembered as a goodly “fere” (an old word for comrade). He is someone you’d want at your side on the road or in the storm.
A life of vigor: His words carried weight and power, not empty chatter. He was no weakling — His presence was strength.
A fearless death: When it came time for the cross, He did not shrink back but bore it as bravely as He had lived.
An asterisk* after a name indicates that person appears in my book SPIRITUAL LIVES
Read more Christian poetry on my blog at https://www.kenkalis.com/blog
Now let’s look at the poem itself.
Ballad of the Goodly Fere (Ezra Pound, 1909)
(excerpted — emphasis added on the ending)
Ha' we lost the goodliest fere o' all
For the priests and the gallows tree?
Aye lover he was of brawny men,
O' ships and the open sea. …
No capon priest was the Goodly Fere,
But a man o’ men was he;
And I ha’ seen him drive a hundred men
Wi’ a bundle o’ cords swung free. …
A master of men was the Goodly Fere,
A mate of the wind and sea,
If they think they ha' slain our Goodly Fere
They are fools eternally.
I ha' seen him eat o' the honey-comb
Sin' they nailed him to the tree.
The Last Line Makes All the Difference
Without that ending, Pound’s poem would simply honor Jesus as a noble hero who died well. But the resurrection changes everything. It moves Christ from being merely a good companion to being the Risen Lord.
The apostle Paul* (5-67) puts it plainly:
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”— 1 Corinthians 15:3–4
This is the heartbeat of the Gospel: Christ died and Christ rose.
Scripture Brings the Ballad Into Focus
When we set Pound’s rugged imagery alongside the Word of God, we see the fuller picture:
Christ’s vigor and strength: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” (John 2:17)
His courage in facing death: “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:51)
His triumph over the grave: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” (John 11:25)
The Jesus portrayed as a bold comrade is the very Jesus of Scripture, and Scripture reveals Him not only as our companion but as our Savior and King.
Why This Matters Today
We do not follow a weak or distant figure. We walk with the One who lived among us, bore our sins, and conquered the grave. His resurrection is our hope in suffering, our courage in trials, and our victory over death.
Pound may have stumbled onto something profound: Jesus was indeed a goodly comrade, full of life and fire. But He is more. He is the Risen Lord.
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Do you know Him today as your Lord?
Are you born again?
Jesus insisted "You must be born again."
Ask Him to come into your heart today and receive eternal life and this promise:
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.- Jesus in Revelation 3:20
✝️ Christ is not only our goodly comrade — He is our Living Savior.
Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely forever:
One day He’s coming—O glorious day!
------John Wilbur Chapman (1859-1918)
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