The title was from the third canto of Dante's "Purgatorio", which alluded to the death of Manfred, King of Sicily, and to Philadelphia artist William Brooke Smith, Pound's friend, who had recently died of tuberculosis.
The title was from the third canto of Dante's "Purgatorio", which alluded to the death of Manfred, King of Sicily. Pound dedicated the book to his friend, Philadelphia artist William Brooke Smith, who had recently died of tuberculosis.