Oct 20, 2012 in a station of the metro by ezra pound the apparition of these faces in the crowd. So before we find out what happened, what pound s account of the making of this poem is, what do you see. The selected poems of pound s that are in ramazanis anthology all show imagist devotion. In a station of the metro, by ezra pound in a nutshell this is the only ezra pound poem that many people will read in their lives. But the elements are difficult to see at first, hidden behind a superficially simple structure. In 1916, pound wrote about the process of writing the poem pound, gaudierbrzeska, 1916. One arrived, the doors opened, and peopled poured out.
Its structure does not follow the rules of iambic pentameter or of a. Petals on a wet, black boughcloses a twelvepage selection of the first verse pound published following the nowfamous definitions of imagism that had appeared in poetry the previous month 1 and 2. Pounds twoline poem is a famous example of imagism, a poetic form spearheaded by pound that focuses above all on relating clear images. Written in haiku and describing the presence of unexpected beauty in a city environment, the poem displays how pound went beyond the limits of using standard imagery by evoking the spontaneous reaction of sensory and mental association. Summary and analysis in a station of the metro published in 19 by ezra pound is the best example of imagist poetry that contains just 14 words reduced from thirty lines which depict the precision of language. In this video philipp schweighauser discusses the question of how ezra pounds poem in a station of the metro relates to modernity, industrialization, urbanization, technological innovation, and also to fascism. In a station of the metro poem summary and analysis. It is a short and very much tothepoint poem, and is also notable for not containing any verbs, creating a true rarity in the realm of written works. In a station of the metro, for example, is two lines. Pound first campaigned for imagistic, his name for a new kind of poetry.
So now, were talking for a few minutes about the most famous imagist poem, ezra pound s in a station of the metro. This short piece illustrates his imagistic talent because the entire poem deals with images alone. I think the secert of the poem lies in the connection between the two sentence. Apr 04, 2016 and the days are not full enough by ezra pound read by tom hiddleston ximalaya fm duration. What are the historical contexts of in a station of the. Download this entire guide to in a station of the metro as a printable pdf. Ezra pound s in a station of the metro before this week, i had never read any poetry by ezra pound. Ezra pound pound, ezra 18851972 controversial american poet, editor, and critic who had a major influence on 20th century literature. Alexanders eng 250 class fall 2015 in a station of the metro lyrics. It is unclear whether he is writing from the vantage point of a passenger on the train itself or on the platform. This in a nutshell already contains more syllables than the entire poem. In a station of the metro is an imagist poem by ezra pound published in 19 in the literary magazine poetry. He wanted to make the poem more concise and direct.
The setting is paris, france, and as he describes these faces as a crowd, meaning the station is quite busy. After making hundreds of broadcasts for the italian facist regime, he was tried for treason, judged insane, and held in a mental hospital for over ten years. Imagism derived from chinese and japanese poetry influenced by haiku, ancient greek lyric, and french symbolist poetry. This is the only ezra pound poem that many people will read in their lives. In a station of the metro by ezra pound is short two lined poem that could potentially have a variety of interpretations.
Youll be asked questions about types of poetry, as well pound s poem, in a station of the metro. Eo hoppecorbis one way of reading the poem would be this. Ezra pound, in a station of the metro haiku terebess asia. In a station of the metro the apparition of these faces in the crowd. Elkin mathews, 1916 45 ps 3531 o82l8 1916 robarts library. Pounds parisian metro station has the same iconic status as the red wheelbarrow of william carlos williams. Pound could have just called the poem, in a metro station, but he chose to make the title longer. Pound connects images of petals and boughs to a mass of humanity linking a manmade metropolitan scene with the cycles of nature. Apr 01, 2017 in a station of the metro is an imagist poem by ezra pound published in 19. Pounds use of living metaphors adds to the fleeting tone of this poem. Pound suggested that the faces of the individuals in the metro were best put into a poem not with a description. In a station of the metro seeks to capture a deeply moving experience that ezra pound encountered in paris when exiting the metro.
Lustrain a station of the metro wikisource, the free. See the bibliography bk3 for notes about what this poem has to do with japan, bk4 and bk12 for pound s own explanation of the matter, and ezra pound and the invention of japan for a critical overview of pound s japanese interests among more than 100 titles by pound that are in print are several that contain work related to his japanese interests. Pounds intent here was to reimplement haiku in western terms. From wikisource ezra pound in a station of the metro. He was aiming for a functional equivalent of haiku, using the tools of western verse to build the thing. In a station of the metro predates all of this, however it was published in 19 in a literary magazine, and was written based on an emotion pound had felt during a moment standing in a paris underground metro station in the previous year. The story is that pound was in a metro station in france, where he lived waiting for a train. What are the historical contexts of in a station of the metro. This episode later appeared as the first part of pound s huge work, the cantos. This may be a crowd of people in a metro station, which reminds the speaker of a bough of petals. An american poet and critic of the early modernist movement imagery is the use of figurative or descriptive language that can help the reader better.
In a station of the metro by ezra pound the sunday times. The poet is like the only one alive in the world he inhabits. Ezra weston loomis pound 30 october 1885 1 november 1972 was an expatriate american poet and critic, a major figure in the early modernist poetry movement, and a fascist sympathizer. He thought that the 575 thing didnt translate effectively, and that the syllable count wasnt the interesting part anyway. Ezra pound was a rebel and wanted to do things his way in regard to poetry and so he did. Why does it matter that the poem uses metaphor saying that one thing is another instead of simile saying that one thing is like another to compare the faces to flowers on a tree branch this is the kind of poem that makes people throw up their hands and say, well, geez, i could write that. Dec 06, 2016 pounds 19 poem in a station of the metro demonstrates his imagistic motif in a couple of lines. The first publication of perhaps the most famous lines in the pound canonthe apparition of these faces in the crowd. Pounds in a station of the metro 19, occurs, he explains, when in paris he. Get an answer for how can i analyze the poem in a station of the metro by ezra pound. However, its not just that the poem is so short its also that pounds other, famous poems. Ezra pound is generally considered the poet most responsible for defining and promoting a modernist aesthetic in poetry. Harriet monroe, ezra pound, william yeats harriet monroe, ezra pound, william yeats.
This is a simple poem that uses economy of words, so i will try to do the. In a station of the metro by ezra pound the difficult forms. Pounds twoline poem is a famous example of imagism, a poetic form spearheaded by pound that focuses above all on relating clear images through precise, accessible language. He dates the genesis of the poem to a moment three years prior to the writing of. In a station of the metro yugen jyanlung lin pound imitated the classic haikus mood of yugen yugen. In a station of the metro is a poem by american writer ezra pound, originally published in 19. How can i analyze the poem in a station of the metro by. More ezra pound sign up for poemaday receive a new poem in your inbox daily. Study questions, discussion questions, essay topics for in a station of the metro. In the poem, pound describes a moment in the underground metro station in paris in 1912. Featuring a piano instrumental of muses ruled by secrecy. In the foot notes, pound mentions that he wrote the poem as a response to an experience he had in the paris metro where he saw suddenly a beautiful face, and then. For example, to tackle the word apparition i have students do a bit of visualization. The petals on the wet black barrow remind me of the hd.
In a station of the metro by ezra pound ezra pound. Pound wrote it after having a spiritual experience in a paris metro subway station. There, you can accomplish the following objectives. Ezra pounds in a station of the metro general education. Ezra pound, in a station of the metro haiku terebess. Analysis of in a station of the metro by ezra pound. The oldest monthly devoted to verse in the englishspeaking world. Earl miner has spoken of it in terms of discordia concors in j. Pound, ezra 18851972 controversial american poet, editor, and critic who had a major influence on 20th century literature. Exploring the historical contexts of a literary text is one path to understanding. They hold that writing poetry is a skill gained through years of effort and requiring technical expertise at least as great as required to master music. There broken vows and deathbed alms are found, and lovers hearts with ends of riband bound, the courtiers promises, and sick mans prayrs, the smiles of harlots, and the tears of heirs, cages for gnats, and chains to yoke a flea, dryd butterflies, and tomes of casuistry. In order to adequately grasp pound s poetry, it is necessary to do background research. In an introduction to the literary essays of ezra pound, t.
In a station of the metro by ezra pound although the poem is not your standard flowery, romantic, descriptive or lengthy work it is a poem, written in a modernist approach to poetry. Apr 12, 2011 ezra pounds poem in a station of the metro is only two lines, making it hard to decipher what exactly is going on. These lines originated when descending into a metro station in paris in 1912, the year before he published in a station of the metro, pound was struck by the stark contrast between the ugliness of the metro station and the beauty of the human faces he saw there. Throughout the history of english poetry, there seldom is a poem like ezra pound s in a station of the metro hereafter referred to as metro poem that has been endlessly researched by scholars, literary critics, and poets alike 1. I ask them to picture the last time they stood in a metro station and think about the experience in terms of sound, motion, and sight. Why did ezra pound reduce in a station of the metro from 30 lines to two. What two things does pound compare in the poem in a. Station of the metro, however, is an exercise in brevity a fancy word for shortness. Poems like a pact and in a station of the metro exemplify the imagist movement toward simplicity mixed with an objective perspective.
Ezra pound, imagism and a poetry society event young. Grand central subway terminal, new york city, 1912 grand central subway terminal, new york city, 1912. So, when in a station of the metro by ezra pound is introduced, it shouldnt even be that surprising that what makes this particular poem stand out is that it is fourteen words long. Of all the major literary figures in the twentieth century, ezra pound has been one of the most controversial. Instead of trying to elaborate upon these principles with more poetic jargon, lets look at a poem that exemplifies all three aspects of imagism. Why did ezra pound reduce in a station of the metro from.
A poem distills life and death into two lines in his in a station of the metro, ezra pound tried to change the way poetry worked. Ezra pounds in a station of the metro before this week, i had never read any poetry by ezra pound. Ezra pound in in a station of the metro likens human faces to petals, as he focused on people in an underground metro. In looking at in a station of the metro from the points of view of poet and recipient, we are lucky to have pound s report on how he composed it, a report that confirms some of the observations made earlier. Rather than describing something an object or situation and then generalizing about it, imagist poets attempted to present. Its a naturalistic image that reverberates and suggests more than it explicitly says.
Ezra pound s in a station of the metro is a poem that capitalizes on the tension between similarity and polarity as extremely as ever a couplet has. The article presents a talk given by the author on the poem in a station of the metro, by ezra pound at the academy of american poets online poetry classroom summer institute. Why doesnt pound include the phrase looks like at the beginning of the second line. So we have faces in a crowd in a metro station and we have wet black petals on a branch.
On ezra pound, in a station of the metro i had no idea when i first read ezra pound s in a station of the metro that so much meaning could be packed into two lines of poetry. This is perhaps the most famous poem written by ezra pound. So why dont we conclude with one or two of you trying to interpret the juxtaposition. Complete summary of ezra pounds in a station of the metro. A criticism is presented for the poem in a station of the metro by the poet ezra pound. To find out more about ezra pound, visit the lesson on his poem, in a station of the metro. That is a very good point, and i also enjoy the picture you have linked us with. In a station of the metro by ezra pound about this poet ezra pound is widely considered one of the most influential poets of the 20th century. In a station of the metro is an imagist poem by ezra pound published in 19. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Flowers and trees, like human beings on a metro, are constantly moving, growing, and changing.
In a station of the metro representative poetry online. In the essay imagism, the second rule of imagistes is said to be to use. Ezra pounds in a station of the metro 603 words 123. As he surveyed his surroundings, a beautiful face emerged from. They quickly realize how uncannyghostlystartling the experience can be.
The poem displays precise technical execution, like a finely tuned machine. In a station of the metro by ezra pound by rebecca published october 20, 2012 updated january 2, 2014 in a station of the metro. Ezra pounds in a station of the metro 603 words 123 help me. Critique of modernism the apparitions show the homogenization of society the images.
I noticed immediately that many of the poems are very short. In this quick poem, pound describes watching faces appear in a metro station. An analysis of ezra pounds poem in a station of the metro. In this analysis, i want to focus mostly on the technical execution of. Even though, the poem is two lines long, he uses imagism to relate his observations about peoples faces and nature. Throughout the history of english poetry, there seldom is a poem like ezra pounds in a station of the metro hereafter referred to as metro poem that has been endlessly researched by scholars, literary critics, and poets alike 1.
In a station of the metro poem by ezra pound poem hunter. In the introduction of the norton anthology of american literature volume d, it states. In a station of the metro by ezra pound excellence in. Pound wants us to think like a parisian, so we cant be confusing this metro with, say, the new york subway or the london underground. What are the theme, shifts and attitude of the poem. Pound created a poem that strikes an immediate chord to the aware reader. Ezra pound and the rhetoric of science, 1901 1922 ucl discovery. There heros wits are kept in pondrous vases, and beaus in snuffboxes and tweezercases. Sullivans ezra pound 235, others of an interrelationship of subjectiveobjective imagery, and many have struggled for. Ezra pound 18851972 from canto lxxxi 1940 what thou lovest well remains, the rest is dross. Pound s anger and resentment of capitalism and the british government was forged by the bloodshed of. The first sentence describes a sence of the morden life, that happens in a station of the metro, it is very common as a single sentence. He watched the flow people, and he saw beautiful face after beautiful face against the darkness of the tunnels.
The second sentence depicts a view of a nature, that happens after a rain. On ezra pound, a retrospect ezra pound s essay, a retrospect, looks back on the changes in poetry he and others of his school suggested. This page was last edited on 5 december 2015, at 23. Apr 17, 2012 7 responses to in a station of the metro ezra pound i totally agree with what you have said, i thought of the same, but the point about petals being fragile beauty, that was very enlightening. The rest and the return challenge traditional meter and voice by using lyrical pattern and repetition. Poetry of ezra pound 162, and humphrey carpenter describes pounds fifth. What are the major themes of in a station of the metro by ezra pound. Bough metro and trees faces are blurry because the train is moving fast.
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