Pound & Defamiliarisation

Jacinta Johnson

In a Station of the Metro

1. Look at the way Pound has spaced the words – how has he grouped words and
punctuation?

The poem itself pairs or groups each word of the poem, except for Petals and bough.
Such a distinct choice ultimately establishes a focus upon the natural elements of
these experiences, and so too in line with the connotative readerly understanding of
petals suggests the fragility and growth of life, that both people and plants
experience. The first and second lines so too remain distinct from each other, yet
connected in the beauty of their description, establishing a comparison. So too
physically the two lines mimic that of a train track, so there is the idea that two
parallel and simultaneous perceptions, that being objective and subjective reality can
coexist within the human mind.

2. What punctuation has he used? Why?

Three elements of punctuation have been used within this poem. The colon between
the first and second lines, a comma and a final full stop. The use of the colon
functions to inform the audience of a change in direction yet connection between the
two lines. It shifts from a sheer observation to an introspective comparison of
humans and the narrator's brief and fickle understanding of these ‘apparitions,’ and
the fragility and brevity of the beauty of the natural world. The comma between wet
and bough further, forces the audience to consider the beauty of the natural world
and potentially how this subjective interpretation an be considered while, seeking a
sense of longevity to such a brief experience, with the pause at wet suggesting an
appreciation for the petals that potentially remain stuck, lengthening their awe.
Ultimately however there is the reminder that such analogous experiences have a
conclusion, an idea indicated through the full stop, yet a moment capable of being
relieved upon a reread.
 3. What is the effect of the punctuation and spacing on the scene we view in our
minds?

The punctuation and spacing, ultimately alters the pace of both the reading and the
scene that is subsequently pictured. The first line, speaking more so objectively, and
broken only by spaces, creates a disconnected readerly experience, mimicking the
confusion and often chaos of the metro. However in the second line, a comparison is
made with a seemingly slower image. The use of the spacing with singular words, and
the implementation of the comma, functions to slow the readerly experience, and the
nature of the second image. There si a sense of stillness established permitting an
appreciation of the similarity between the two scenes that Pound has presented the
reader with.

4. Overall - how has Pound made the everyday and mundane seem different and
unusual?

Through a powerful command of language Pound demands the attention of the

audience through the fleeting brevity of the piece. This succinct choice, a cornerstone
of imagist poets, whom believed the beauty of the natural world was inherent and
direct and should be conveyed as such. Further the functionality of the word choice,
allows for an otherwise mundane scenario such as the rapidity of a metro station, to
be appreciated in light of the fleeting beauty of the comparatively slow natural world.