The opening line of Ezra Pound’s “Canto XIV” reads “Io venni in luogo d’ogni luce muto” [I came to a place without any light]. This line establishes a link between the Canto and which of the following literary works?

Explanation

The phrase in Pound’s Canto XIV echoes themes found in Thomas Mann’s "Doctor Faustus," a novel deeply engaged with darkness and artistic struggle. While Milton, Dante, and Goethe have influenced Pound, this particular line most directly connects to Mann’s work.