"In a Station of the Metro" is a poem by American writer Ezra Pound, originally published in 1913. Pound's two-line poem is a famous example of "imagism," a poetic form spear-headed by Pound that focuses above all on relating clear images through precise, accessible language. In just 20 words (including the title!), this poem manages to vividly evoke both a crowded subway station and petals on a tree branch. By juxtaposing these two very different images, the poem blurs the line between the speaker's reality and imagination and invites the reader to relate urban life to the natural world—and to perhaps consider each of these realms in a new light.
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The Full Text of “In a Station of the Metro”
1The apparition of these faces in the crowd:
2Petals on a wet, black bough.
The Full Text of “In a Station of the Metro”
1The apparition of these faces in the crowd:
2Petals on a wet, black bough.
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“In a Station of the Metro” Summary
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“In a Station of the Metro” Themes
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Perception, Imagination, and Reality
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Urban Life and the Natural World
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “In a Station of the Metro”
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Line 1
The apparition of these faces in the crowd:
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Line 2
Petals on a wet, black bough.
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“In a Station of the Metro” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Consonance
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Assonance
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End-Stopped Line
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Imagery
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Juxtaposition
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Parataxis
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Metaphor
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“In a Station of the Metro” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Metro
- Apparition
- Bough
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “In a Station of the Metro”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“In a Station of the Metro” Speaker
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“In a Station of the Metro” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “In a Station of the Metro”
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More “In a Station of the Metro” Resources
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External Resources
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"In a Station of the Metro" Original Publication — The Poetry Foundation's website shows a picture of the original 1913 publication of Poetry magazine, in which Pound's short poem was published.
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Ezra Pound Modernism Lab — This blog maintained by students at Yale University has information and critical analysis of Ezra Pound and his works, including "In a Station of the Metro."
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Audio Recording of "In a Station of the Metro" — An audio recording of Pound's poem courtesy of the Poetry Foundation.
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Secrets of the Paris Metro — This New York Times article by Taras Grescoe from the year 2000 discusses the history of the Paris subway system, instituted almost 120 years ago.
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Ezra Pound Biography and Works — Information about Pound's life and many of his notable works, courtesy of the Academy of American Poets.
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LitCharts on Other Poems by Ezra Pound
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