"Faces in the crowd" in the Metro at La Concorde, Paris.
"Petals on a wet, black bough."
The images are taken from:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yelloo/2444110734/
and http://www.flickr.com/photos/tcnjoanne/2123941073/
"In a Station of the Metro"
The apparition of these faces in the crowd;In the poem, Ezra Pound uses vivid imagery to describe his view in the train station. He was people watching and he was in awe by the sight, according to the word “apparition”. He was shocked when he discovered the people’s faces when he stepped into the crowded metro station, probably during a rush hour. In the second line, he compares the station, which is a mechanical and industrial object, using a beautiful imagery of a living flower. He morph the scene into an image of flower petals which stands out in the background of wet, black branches. The soft and feathery flower petals contrast with heavy, black, and unattractive branches. Linking these completely different images are interesting. Comparing in terms of the view of people in a fast paced industrial environment and the soothing view of a naturally beautiful petals on a tree branch.
Petals on a wet, black bough.
I wrote my paper on "In a Station of the Metro," so I thought I'd share my interpretation with you regarding the "linking (of) these completely different images". My interpretation of the poem was that Pound sought to illuminate the alienating effects of a society that praises individualism. Kinda far fetched, but I support it well. .... At least I hope I did:
ReplyDeleteThe people are just a fragment, not whole as they are merely petals. This could be because the author only knows of their appearance or possibly because an individual is only a petal and society or at least their close affiliations are what constitute a whole plant/flower. The flower could be our families, from which we leave. Wet is used to connote uneasiness and possibly, as it would force the petals to adhere temporarily to the bough, could be a symbol for the reason the transients are there. . Also since the petals are there for a limited time, they are bound to end up swept away by the winds and either land on a new bough or finally fall to the ground.
The bough could stand for their society; it serves to emphasize the actual stature of individuals in comparison to it. Also, it too is dwarfed by the actual tree, possibly ‘a culture’. Black frequently connotes sadness and it can be agreed that it is understood to be ‘devoid of light’ which gives credence to the detachment of the entire event.
Then there is the sociology part, but I'll spare you from basically reading my paper.
Lot's O Words.