These faces are like ghosts in the crowd,
Many petals on a wet black branch.
This poem is very short, only two lines, but it is well-known and intriguing, because it provides readers with a broad imagination.
First of all, from the content point of view, it is mainly the poet's petal-like face on the dark and humid subway platform and his surprise at that time. Where did this conclusion come from? Mainly through the reasonable imagination of poetic images. In this poem, the upper and lower sets of images correspond-namely, "ghost face" and "petals on a black branch". "Face" is the noumenon and "petal" is the carrier. These two sets of images pieced together a picture before our eyes-the sky is gloomy, perhaps it has just rained, and the humid air is filled with the smell of material decadence. In a dark, "wet" subway station in the city, people are surging, and people are like silent fish, swimming with each other awake and mechanically. There is always a sly and alert look around, and there are always faces that are not easy to see. The poet stood here in the subway station like a "black branch", feeling depressed and exhausted. Suddenly, the poet's eyes lit up-innocent children's faces appeared in front of the poet, holding hands and singing children's songs in a childish voice ... What a lovely and vivid picture, which made the poet feel beautiful. These beautiful faces, such as "petals", appeared too suddenly and mysteriously as ghosts, which gave the poet unexpected surprises and made his mood suddenly clear.
This short poem is not only imaginative in content, but also more intriguing in ideological connotation. Mainly manifested in the following two points:
(1) "Petals" are not on the green branches, but on the wet black branches. Bright petals contrast with black branches, "petals" are more beautiful, and "black branches" are more offensive. From this, we can imagine the poet's extreme aversion to modern urban life-infatuation with money, inflated material desires and indifferent human feelings, as well as his urgent desire for "truth, goodness and beauty" and his yearning for all positive and energetic beautiful things. These two emotions are more intense against the backdrop of "petals" and "black branches".
(2) "Petals" actually appear on "black branches". For example, the face of "flowers" actually appears in a dark and humid environment. How can this not be surprising? "Ghostly face" and "petals on a black branch" set each other off in fun, which connects with life and exerts imagination. We can easily find the philosophy contained in them: although society has its dark side, it is ugly and lifeless. Although life is hard and full of difficulties, it is accompanied by hope and opportunity. Therefore, we should not lose heart in adversity. In good times, we should keep a sense of urgency.
The above obscure meanings in content and thought all come from the creative way of appreciation. Appreciating the pleasure brought by this poem of the richest man's imagination is like tasting tea. The more you taste it, the stronger it will be, and the aftertaste will be endless. ...
The original poem is longer:
Trapped in this complicated image, I can't find the exit.
Willing to be buried underground by the sun. go on foot
Traveling in the dark, lost in my heart
Only the vicissitudes of stone, speechless.
Express concrete, abstract and fuzzy semantics
Pain that goes deep into the bone marrow, down-to-earth
Took over my body. leave
A lonely soul, covered with a few lonely feathers.
This is a subway to heaven.
We have dreamed countless times, and it is getting darker and darker at the moment.
I saw the wind and cried on the bare tree.
There are also melancholy clouds, carrying some sad sentences.
On the top of the hill behind my house, it is flat.
I followed that promise and climbed the finger of fantasy.
Yingying holds it. That dream, that town
These days and nights are connected with my fingers.
Buried in the subway, love of my life.
It's easy. It hurts you.
Looking at these wet black petals, I just want to
At the dark exit, there is a ray of warm sunshine. ...
Pound (1885-1972) is a famous American poet and critic, and one of the founders of imagist poetry. He advocates using vivid, accurate, implicit and concise images to express concrete things, and this song "In a Subway Station" is the masterpiece of Imagist poetry.
Some people say it is difficult to "understand" this poem thoroughly. That makes sense. Poetry is neither a mechanical reflection of objective phenomena nor a direct expression of subjective feelings. It is precisely because poetry has the characteristics of "writing the heart" that the appreciator is required to use imagination, association and other methods to mobilize his emotions to understand, feel and appreciate, thus producing a strong * * * sound, which is the "re-creation" of poetry.