In a Station of the Metro

The first line opens with the article “The” (Line 1), and its sound balances the word “these.” The line relies on the prepositions “of” and “in” to create a sense of direction. It also relies on the demonstrative pronoun “these” (Line 1) to create a sense of distinction. The article “the” (Line 1) appears twice in the line. The line utilizes only three nouns—“apparition,” “faces,” and “crowd” (Line 1). The second line incorporates the nouns “Petals” (Line 2) and “bough” (Line 2). It relies on the adjectives “wet” (Line 2) and “black” (Line 2) to grow even more imagistic. The prepositions “on” (Line 2) and “a” (Line 2) create a pause in the line, allowing readers to focus on the line’s more imagistic aspects. The verse is not metrically regular and is free verse. Each line does rely on a syllabic structure. The first line begins with iambs (unstressed-stressed) and is followed by irregular, unstressed beats. The syllables’ sharpness is another technique that makes the second line stand in contrast to the first, since the natural content is bold against the urbanity of the metro station. The lack of metrical consistency throughout the poem reinforces the poem’s striking visuals.