"In a Station of the Metro" by Ezra Pound is the first poem we have read that speaks to me. Normally reading poetry is very mentally taxing for me because I am not the best at interpreting the author's meaning and purpose unless it's rather superficial and the author made no attempt to hide it. However, with this poem, I was drawn to its simplicity and juxtaposition.
When you hear the word "metro" some images that first come to mind may include crowds, dirt, trains, noise, and overall a sort of tenseness that accompanies any busy or active site. It can be a very stressful experience, one you want to be done with as soon as possible. Yet, Pound's poem gives the metro a whole different feeling. The word "apparition" evokes a sort of mystical scene. For me, the metro became significantly quieter, more mysterious. He focuses on the faces as opposed to the environment, which eliminates some of the dirtiness I associate with metros. Then Pound immediately brings in nature, which completely eliminated the hustle and bustle of the metro and instead painted a picture of peace and quiet. The poem invites the reader to imagine something natural in an urban setting.
One of the main reasons this poem spoke to me is because of the image I saw when I read "Petals on a wet, black bough." I pictured a vibrant purple flower on a tree branch dark from the rain, water clinging to the petals. I am a sucker for natural beauty and I love the rain. In my opinion, the best time for self-reflection and deep thinking is right after the rain. The world is quiet and listening. The imagery gave me calm after the chaos of a metro. The poet saw beauty in a scene often depicted as hectic and ugly. The peace it gave me was wonderful and I was surprised by it. I guess what I learned from the poem is that there can be beauty in everything if you view it through the right lens.
Hi Jenny, first, this is a great response, and I am sorry not to have responded to it sooner. Your response to the poem is quite intuitive. Most readers do not see the stark comparison of the natural with the urban, but I think this is exactly the kind of curious juxtaposition the poet intended. REally a thoughtful reading. Good work. dw
ReplyDeleteJenny,
ReplyDeleteThis is an awesome way to think of the poem. I remember reading it in high school and thinking, "That's it?" But when we read it for class, I had almost the same image of a flower pop up in my head. It is so interesting to see how just a few lines can really produce a couple of images that are distinct, yet meaningful.