“In a station of the metro” by Ezra Pound

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

“In a station of the metro” by Ezra Pound

The apparition of these faces in the crowd;• The poet is watching faces appear in a crowded metro

(subway) station.• You wouldn’t know it only from reading the poem, but we’re

in Paris, which means that everyone looks really nice.• The poet is trying to get us to see things from his perspective,

and the word "apparition" suggests that the faces are becoming visible to him very suddenly and probably disappearing just as fast. They almost look like ghosts. If you’ve ever been in a crowded subway, then you’re probably familiar with this phenomenon.

“In a station of the metro” by Ezra Pound

Petals on a wet, black bough.• Although he doesn’t say so, the words "looks like" are implicit at

the start of this line. The faces in the crowd "look like" flower petals on a "wet, black bough."

• A "bough" is a big tree branch• When is a tree branch wet and black? Probably at night, after the

rain. A Paris subway, on the other hand, is always wet and black.• Now, we’re going out on a limb here , but he may be seeing the

faces reflected in a puddle over black asphalt. Or it could just be a more general sense of wetness. At any rate, the faces in the subway are being compared to flowers on a tree branch.

“In a station of the metro” by Ezra Pound

Haiku • that the images juxtaposed must be directly observed

everyday objects.• Haiku is a form of poetry, first made popular in Japan,

which has become appreciated around the world. Haiku poets are challenged to convey a vivid message in only 17 syllables.