Select the one modernist poem or text that you found spoke to you most directly. Quote the text and tell us how the text moved you.
During our exploration into modernism, we delved into poetry by the modernist poet, Ezra Pound. In particularly we focused on his poem, “In a station of the metro” in which out of all pieces we read throughout this topic, resonated with me most. The poem itself only consists of two lines but the modern minimalistic style is what I believe amplifies it’s meaning the most. The poem reads as:
“The apparition of these faces in the crowd;
Petals on a wet, black bough.”
Despite being rather short, the stark contrasts and visual imagery that the poem is able to produce astounds me. This contrast is evident through pounds particular use of “apparition” to describe the faces, juxtaposing the poignant and colourful imagery of “petals on a wet, black bough” (In a station of the metro). Through choosing to describe the people as ‘ghost-like’ within the bustling crowd of a metro, Pound comments on the negative impact of man-made industrialisations on humanity. Pound further cements this negative ideology of the impact of man-made items on humans as he compares the faces to wet petals on a black branch. When I first read this line immediately my mind was infiltrated with the visualisation of flowers sticking to a tree; their colour illuminated against the black back drop. This image aligns with that of ‘the ghost-like’ faces in the black darkness of a metro as humans ‘stick’ to that of their own industrialised creations. Furthermore, by creating this image and contrasting it with scenes of the natural environment, Pound identifies the cyclical nature of humanity, much alike petals growing on a tree. In creating this image, I believe pound comments on the way in which humans float through life obliviously amongst one another, focusing only on the future industrialised society as opposed to the natural world.
Pounds ability to capture such rich meaning in only two lines in what thus, moves me the most about this poem. He is able to articulate the cyclical nature of human beings through a technologically developing world, commenting on their lack of focus for the natural world in only a space of two lines. Everything down to Pound’s grammar and tight knit choice of wording aided in producing the significant meaning of this poem, highlighting the power of words themselves in which what truly moves me most.
Feature Image: Metro taken from google images https://www.google.com/search?biw=1440&bih=789&tbm=isch&sxsrf=ACYBGNSJf-gUuHCTEnfbtxBbsl9FIfojSQ%3A1571204545902&sa=1&ei=wa2mXbzZNqqCrtoPi-OO6A0&q=+1913+metro&oq=+1913+metro&gs_l=img.3..35i39.5202.5421..6136…0.0..0.305.563.2-1j1……0….1..gws-wiz-img.21qqccysOKE&ved=0ahUKEwj8vc-GiaDlAhUqgUsFHYuxA90Q4dUDCAc&uact=5#imgrc=Jqd_cj6iGhd8YM:
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Hi Teneille,
I love your deep insight and understanding of Ezra Pound’s poem “In a Station of the Metro”. You articulate and express a deep and genuine connection with the poem and you extract such an in-depth meaning from a poem with its simplistic and minimal in form. The power within your blog is your ability to extract and visually translate the elements and link them not only with meaning but with nature, and the environment as well.
You thoroughly associated the title of the poem with the limited elements and discussed and drew a relationship between the meaning of the title and the limited context of the poem itself.
I guess this was Pound’s intention when constructing a poem minimalistic in form yet enriched with meaning and which emphasises humanities lack of connection to nature in the developing world. I particularly enjoyed our exploration into modernism. Reading your entry amplifies and enhanced my understanding and connection to Ezra Pound poetry.
Your expression is well articulated and your language and elaborate descriptions make this an insightful and enjoyable blog to read. Thank you for sharing your insight. Great work.
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