In a Station of the Metro

Introduction

Ezra Pound was a leader in the imagist movement – a small group of influential writers who rejected the use of ornate language in favour of a more direct and precise style to describe their experiences. Imagists argued every word and punctuation mark should contribute to the message. In terms of rhythm, they used free verse because they wanted to focus on the essence and music of the image rather than the mechanics of old poetic forms.

Pound’s “In a Station of the Metro” is certainly succinct and a great example of what the imagists were hoping to achieve.

Although this study guide provides close analysis of the text, we are also using the poem to illustrate our approach to the unseen poetry questions which inevitably feature in lots of English Literature courses.

In a Station of the Metro

The apparition of these faces in the crowd:
Petals on a wet, black bough.

Divide the Poem

The presentation and structure of poetry seems to strike fear into many students. If you are reading a poem for the first time, follow the punctuation in the same way you would for a prose text. Pause at the commas and stop at the full stops. Dividing the narrative into its different beats should give you a better sense of the story.

What is the situation? What is the character doing? What are they thinking?

“In a Station of the Metro” offers a simple illustration of this approach because the poem only consists of a title and two lines of blank verse:

In Your Own Words

Once you have made the text more accessible, resist the temptation to scan through the lines in search of devices and poetic techniques. Focus on reworking the language into your own words first. Summarise what is happening in the story. Make brief annotations about the characters. Identify the setting. Getting the basics right will help you engage with the more challenging aspects of analysing a poem.

First, the title locates the poem in the Metro system in Paris. Many of these stations are underground and renowned for their beautiful art nouveau architecture.

The signifier “crowd” suggests there are lots of people in station but there is no clear sense of order or organisation. Pound describes the “crowd” as “the apparition”. This could mean they are ghostlike and appear quite suddenly in station. The determiner “these” locates the speaker in the station looking at the remarkable appearance of the “crowd” of people.

Finally, the “petals” are simply coloured leaves which stand out against the darkness of the damp “bough”. The adjectives “wet” and “black” suggest the tree has been hit with rain.

Listen to the Language

When we are talking to our friends and family, we can shift our tone of voice to convey our thoughts and feelings more effectively. Poets also use a variety of tones to communicate with their audience. However, if we are analysing a poem which was published in 1913, we might have to guess the speaker’s attitude by carefully assessing the poet’s choice of words.

The image “apparition” creates a tone of surprise because the word means a sudden appearance. By contrast, the slow delivery of “wet” and “black” suggests the speaker is content and found some pleasure in the scene.

Poetic Techniques

Your understanding of the poem should be secure because you have identified the key beats of the story and summarised the writer’s intentions in your own words. You are now in a great position to explain how the poetic techniques support the poet’s message.

The most obvious method is the metaphor comparing the “faces in the crowd” to “petals” slicked against the “bough”. The image suggests the “faces” are indistinguishable to the speaker in the same way “petals” appear flat and blank on the “bough”. There are so many he cannot differentiate between the people or leaves. It also suggests the people are “wet” and have taken shelter in the station from the rain outside.

There is the repetition of the long vowel sound in “crowd” and “bough”. This end-rhyme connects the two images, forcing the listener to draw comparisons between the “faces” and the “petals” on the “bough”.

It is also worth noting the alliteration of /b/ in “black” and “bough” which adds stress to the words. The emphasis delivers a satisfying conclusion to the poem. Have a look at our guide to analysing alliteration if you would like some detailed advice about how phrasing your response.

Rhythm

The top candidates in an unseen poetry exam will be able to explore the rhythm of the poem and how the verse helps shape its meaning. You probably learnt about iambic pentameter from studying a Shakespeare text, but verse can be incredibly complex, especially the new rhythms created by the imagist poets.

We are going to focus on the second line to explore how the rhythm of “In a Station of the Metro” helps convey the writer’s intentions.

The first syllable of “petals” is stressed and the second is unstressed. Starting the line with a trochee usually adds emphasis to the word, so Pound probably wanted to signal the start of a new image. However, poets also use this falling rhythm to create a sense of despair. Perhaps the speaker feels lost and forlorn.

The next foot is an anapaest because there are two unstressed syllables are followed by a stressed syllable: “on a wet”. This meter can create a sense of urgency or anticipation because the rhythm builds to the emphasis on the final syllable. Is the speaker’s sadness beginning to shift?

The final foot is a spondee. Stressing two syllables in a row slows the pace of the line down and gives the words a heavy emphasis. The rhythm is also slowed by the pause indicated by the comma.

The dreary image of “faces in a crowd” has been transformed into beautiful “petals on a wet, black bough”. This change is matched by the change in rhythm in the second line. The delicious stress at the end of the poem could refer to the speaker’s change in mood.

Interpreting the Poem

Some students take their time annotating an unseen poem. Others like to get stuck into the key terms of the question. You need to find the process which will enable you to fulfil your potential.

If you are following this approach, you should have a solid understanding of the poem before you begin writing your response. Importantly, you still need to synthesise this analysis into an effective argument which addresses the exam question.

1. To what extent does “In a Station of the Metro” explore the relationship between our perception of reality and the world of our imagination?
2. With close analysis of the poetic methods and relevant contextual information, explore the loss of identity and individuality in the modern world.
3. Ezra Pound argued the poem was “trying to record the precise instant when a thing outward and objective transforms itself… into a thing inward and subjective”. Was the poet successful? Support your ideas with close reference to the text, including language and imagery.