Barnard was mentored via airmail from Italy by Ezra Pound after she sent him six poems, and was introduced to the likes of William Carlos Williams and Marianne Moore. This generated a lifetime of lengthy correspondence with the former in addition to comprehensive instruction on the art of poetry from Pound. Pound encouraged Barnard to use translations to hone her poetic abilities. Pound also encouraged Barnard to visit Europe, meet H.D. (which did not happen despite pressure from Pound), and generally witness the continental European scene. In 1958, inspired by Salvatore Quasimodo's anthology Greci Lirici, Barnard published Sappho: A New Translation, with the encouragement of Pound, whom she sent the first drafts of the work.
