Summary

The poem opens with the image of "The apparition of these faces in the crowd" (1). Were it not for the title of the poem, readers might believe these faces are simply faces in a street, a store, or even at a party—but the title "In a Station of the Metro" indicates that these faces are underground in the station. They are then immediately linked to the man-made metro system of Paris, where there is no sunlight, no wind, nor any plants of any kind in this underground setting. As Pound gazes upon these faces, which he regards as an "apparition," he associates them with a reality in his imagination (1). The faces surrounding him become "Petals on a wet, black bough" (2). In this moment, Pound transforms his environment from the man-made metro system of urban Paris to a peaceful scene in nature. He...