Today is the 27th of the NAPOWRIMO! Only three more days until the end. Some of us are starting to look a little bedraggled and tired but still we press on. To help us towards the end, I give you a poem prompt by no less than Ezra Pound; it is about … The Big End, so to speak.
In a Station of the Metro
The apparition of these faces in the crowd:
The apparition of these faces in the crowd:
Petals on a wet, black bough.
To say it is brief is one thing, to say it is breathtaking and thought provoking is yet another thing. In two lines Pound gives us a vision of ghosts - the faces whipping past us in the stroboscopic light and he gives us a vision of the after world. The subway car becomes Charon's boat rowing the dead across the River Styx. He also gives us a feel of mono no aware (mo*no no ah*wah* ray) - the Japanese words for "sadness or wistfulness at the passing of things"- the seasons, leaves rotting, the last sip of tea, the kiss before dying. The Japanese have written literally millions of poems about cherry blossoms - all the with the tang of mono no aware mixed in with the sweetness of the blossoms and their inevitable brief life and death.
To say it is brief is one thing, to say it is breathtaking and thought provoking is yet another thing. In two lines Pound gives us a vision of ghosts - the faces whipping past us in the stroboscopic light and he gives us a vision of the after world. The subway car becomes Charon's boat rowing the dead across the River Styx. He also gives us a feel of mono no aware (mo*no no ah*wah* ray) - the Japanese words for "sadness or wistfulness at the passing of things"- the seasons, leaves rotting, the last sip of tea, the kiss before dying. The Japanese have written literally millions of poems about cherry blossoms - all the with the tang of mono no aware mixed in with the sweetness of the blossoms and their inevitable brief life and death.
Your prompt for 27th day of NAPOWRIMO: Write a two line poem in which you convey some startling image, an image that juxtaposes two images. That is all. Make is stark, make it beautiful, make it heartbreaking, make it full of humor. The choice is yours.
See you at the end!
Fascinating – I always interpreted this poem of Pound's as meaning the faces of people waiting on the platform, in the rain. We always think our own interpretation is the only one. It never occurred to me the faces were on a passing train, but of course it could be so.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, will start looking for / thinking of images to use....
As it turned out, I didn't have to look far for an image – though it doesn't exactly match the haunting quality of Pound's.
ReplyDelete😊 I didn't think it would take you long!
DeleteThis Ezra Pound couplet is one of my personal treasures of this world!
ReplyDeleteHowever, I am a bit too invested in this poetry writing month to stop at one couplet, Toni. Apologies. My poem of the day is inspired by your prompt but I won't link it up as it does not follow your specific instruction.
Kerry, it is good to know you love this poem as much as I. If you want to link up several of your poems in one (#1, #2, #3, etc.) I am personally willing to look at them as such. (I don't think there is a rule that you can only submit just one).
DeleteI love this, but couldn't exactly follow the strict appliance of two images... it become more like to experiences giving a connection.
ReplyDeleteWhich is exactly what it is...I am so sorry to read about your mother. Know my thoughts are with you. I know what you are going through.
DeleteI am so pleased to present this prompt. I am extremely busy and will be in and out all day. Thank you all in advance for your poems. Have a goid poeming day.
ReplyDeleteI am really pleased with what I wrote, and it is another example of something I never would have written but for a prompt like this one. Thanks, fren.
ReplyDeleteps--I hope what i did counts as two images, but if not, I can write another.
ReplyDeleteYou did good fren. No rule that you can only submit one!
DeleteAnnell's link does not work for me.
ReplyDeleteLove this prompt, Toni. I think I prefer mine broken into four lines, but left it at two long lines for the spirit of the exercise. :) Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you for a very inspiring prompt, Toni.
ReplyDelete@Annell, Your link was broken. So, I've deleted it and linked it again.
ReplyDeleteToni- You would think a two line poem would be a snap. But, for it to pack a punch, it's not so. I gave it a try, and thank you so much for this challenge.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very intriguing challenge - and the Pound example is astonishing. The power of the word!
ReplyDeleteSo nice to be asked to write a two line poem, too, given we are so tired. Smiles.
ReplyDeleteThis is being fun. It was hard for me to portray rabbits as being bad guys. Also, this one is true and (FYI) yesterday evening I sprayed my flowerless pansies with 'Deer and Rabbit Repellant.'
ReplyDeleteLove the prompt Toni!
ReplyDelete