Ezra Pound's "In a Station of the Metro": microlecture.

This microlecture by Michael Blackburn focuses on Ezra Pound's poem, "In a Station of the Metro." The poem is presented: "The apparition of these face in the crowd; petals on a wet, black bough."

The poem is very short, similar to a Japanese haiku, focusing on a single moment of experience and reflection. It presents two images without explanation, creating an instantaneous effect.

The title is an integral part of the poem, providing essential information and immediately identifying the setting as Paris. Specifically, it's La Concorde station, as confirmed by Pound later.

The poem doesn't conform to conventional metrical arrangements and does not rhyme, setting it apart from traditional poetry.

The two lines represent different processes: the first registers the initial impression of faces, while the second shifts to a metaphorical interpretation, equating faces to petals. Pound uses metaphor directly, not simile.

The poem jumps from the urban, man-made Metro environment to the natural world of trees and leaves. While the initial location is clear, the origin of the second image (petals on a bough) is ambiguous, potentially a memory or imagination.

The use of 'apparition' suggests the faces are ghost-like, linking the 'underground' of the Metro to the 'underworld' of classical mythology. This implies the faces are ghosts of the dead, undistinguished in a crowd, echoing descriptions found in Dante's Inferno and Eliot's 'The Waste Land'.

Pound moves from one metaphor (apparitions) to another (petals). This transformation of a person into a flower or plant is common in classical mythology, prompting reflection on human life's relationship with the natural world.

The 'petals' are implicitly pale against the 'black' bough, creating a sharp contrast. The season is implied to be spring or summer. This contrast raises the question of whether petals symbolize renewed life against a backdrop of death, represented by darkness and the bough.

The phrase 'wet, black bough' uses punchy, one-syllable words. The 'wet' bough could signify petals sticking or something deeper. The 'black' might imply decay or be a result of wetness. The choice of 'bough' over 'branch' is also significant, considering sound and connotations.

What initially appears to be a straightforward and simple poem reveals itself to be much richer and more complex upon closer examination of its word choices and imagery.