In a Station of the Metro

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1913

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Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Symbols & Motifs

Faces

The poem’s speaker likens the “faces in the crowd” (Line 1) to an “apparition” (Line 1) and “Petals” (Line 2). The face is an image of the self. As a sociological concept, a face is associated with respectability and/or the compliance which a person can claim for themselves or for others. Initially, the faces represent a collective acting as a whole. However, another interpretation is that like the “Petals” (Line 2), the “faces in the crowd” (Line 1) are a representation of individualism. The plural form—”faces” (Line 1)—creates a separation from the mass and establishes distinction.

Petals

In the poem, the speaker attributes no specific color or flower species to the petals. However, the petals lie conspicuous against a “wet, black bough” (Line 2). The speaker implies the petals’ vibrancy. The speaker’s suggestion that the “faces in the crowd” (Line 1) are “Petals” (Line 2) speaks to humanity’s fragility and the brevity of life. The petals’ position on the “wet, black bough” (Line 2) represents the elegance of not only nature, but also of life. In nature, petals are found in a variety of shapes and colors. The petals then become representative of individuality.

Bough

While the petals represent the delicate nature of life and existence, fragility, and individuality, the “wet, black bough” (Line 2) represents stability. The bough is where the petals rest. The bough suspends the petals. The speaker implies that the bough stretches forth, into openness. The bough then becomes a symbol of the unknown. The fragility of the “Petals” (Line 1) combines with the unknown represented by the “wet, black bough” (Line 2) to create the sense that existence and life are fleeting. The speaker describes the bough as “wet” (Line 2) and “black” (Line 2). This description balances the implied vitality of the petals and creates a sense of disparity.