In a Station of the Metro Questions

Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.

  1. Why doesn’t Pound include the phrase "looks like" at the beginning of the second line? Why does it matter that the poem uses metaphor (saying that one thing is another) instead of simile (saying that one thing is like another) to compare the faces to flowers on a tree branch?
  2. This is the kind of poem that makes people throw up their hands and say, "Well, geez, I could write that!" Why do you think it took Pound a year to compose it?
  3. Pound could have used the word "appearance" in the first line. What is the effect of using the word "apparition" instead?
  4. How successful is Pound at planting a particular "image" in your mind when you read this poem?
  5. Does the poem provide any clues as to how Pound feels about modern life and technology?