"In a Station of the Metro" by Ezra Pound

Ezra Pound’s brief yet ambiguous poem, “In a Station of the Metro,” conforms to the ideals of Imagism through its simplistic and concrete language that in turn, paints a clear image of the narrator’s vision. The Imagist Manifesto movement aimed at creating precise and sharp expression through the illustration of clear imagery. Imagism is characterized by exactness and clarity, that still manages to paint a portrait through its diction and tone. Although Pound’s poem is short, only two lines, the rhythm is not choppy but instead, it is paced steadily and evenly. The poem’s form and meter mimic a variation of the Japanese haiku, a style of poetry that conforms to Imagism, through the pacing of the syllables within the lines. Like a haiku, which juxtapositions two images or events, Pound attempts to fuse the two contrasting images of the ghostlike faces on the metro beside the seemingly beautiful petals on the branch. This creates an image that parallels the cold urban reality alongside the beauty and warmth of the natural world.

Furthermore, Pound’s diction embodies the clarity of Imagism through his precise language. His diction carefully constructs the simplistic image of the people in the station. He uses the word “apparition” to illustrate the phantom-like qualities of the faces in the crowd that seems to come and goes suddenly within the station. Pound employs the word “these” when referring to the faces on the metro as if to place the readers directly into his perspective and point at the faces. This creates a vivid image in the reader’s head of what “these faces” look like among the crowd. Pound immediately then starts the next line with, “petals on a wet, black bough,” turning the poem into a metaphor. Unlike a simile which would utilize “like” or “as," Pound maintains direct diction that explicitly fuses together the two images of the face and the petals. Without directly stating that the collective faces on the metro resemble petals on a bough, the implication itself remains sufficient. Part of Imagism is to always employ “the exact word” and never the “decorative word.” Pound satisfies this aspect of Imagism as he does not directly insist that the faces are like the petals, but rather that they just are. This direct treatment of the language reflects the clarity of expression that Imagism encompasses.

As for the meaning of the poem, Pound could be commenting on the juxtaposition of urbanization and the natural world. The “apparition” of the faces on the metro could represent the constant blur and movement of everyday life, and how time is fleeting. In contrast, the petals could be interpreted as being stuck by the wetness onto the bough, remaining in a stable, natural position. Without a connecting phrase to explicitly imply that “these faces in the crowd” are in fact the “petals,” Pound seems to suggest a parallel that is not in need of a direct comparison and is instead evident. Although the two images are contrasting, Pound creates an image that mirrors one another. The faces within the metro seem to blend into petals as the reader suddenly reads the next line. The poem could also reflect the natural life cycle, with the petals eventually wilting and dying, and becoming the ghosts of the fleeting faces. This connection between the two images could, however, unveil the shared beauty between the two. Pound could be commenting on the beauty of the phantom faces within the metro, and that although life is fleeting, it is still beautiful. The petals which lie upon the “wet, black bough” could be envisioned as a mirror in the water that reflects back to the ghostlike image of the faces at the metro. The choice of the word “black” heightens the contrast of the gentle and frail petal against the dark backdrop of the bough. Similarly, the blurred image of the faces is envisioned as the delicate petals against the seemingly monochromatic scene of the station. Pound maintains the Imagist aspects because although the meaning seems abstract and infinite, it is still contained within two lines through the use of careful diction. The briefness of the poem almost seems to reflect the ephemeral undertones that the poem touches upon, echoing the constant change within the metro that creates the image of apparitions. The direct and simplistic aspects of the poem’s Imagism seem to signify the clarity that is the cycle of life. Like the people on the metro that are constantly changing direction within the station to the point of blur, the petals remain as a reminder of the beauty that remains within a changing society.