"In a Station of the Metro"-Ezra Pound

In Ezra Pound’s poem, “In a Station of the Metro,” there are several features, such as rhythm, structure, imagery, and stanza, that prove it is poetic and can really be called a poem. The first thing I noticed that showed me “In a Station of the Metro” is a poem is the way the poem is organized, its structure. The poem is divided into two lines, a couplet, which is a two-line stanza, and that is the whole poem. The poem incorporates rhyme, also. The rhyme is an internal and end rhyme. It occurs at the end of each line, and it occurs inside the word. It is also feminine rhyme because it occurs as a soft vowel sound instead of a hard consonant sound. Another characteristic of poems that “In a Station of the Metro” puts to use is rhythm. The poem is not organized into a structured sentence, but it is, instead, organized into two different and divided phrases. The phrases are separated by a semi-colon, which is not proper use of grammar but is an interesting technique. The author intends to show a pause, or a separation between the two ideas. This is a very poetic feature of this poem. Also, the word structures of the two different lines are very different. In the first line, the most noticeable sounds repeated are the vowel sounds, while in the second line consonants are repeated throughout. As the structure of the poem illustrates poetic qualities, so do the words and multiple interpretations of the poem. Ezra Pound compares “faces in the crowd” to “petals on a wet, black bough.” There are many possible interpretations for these words. One interpretation is that the faces Pound sees in the crowd stand out to him like petals stand out on a bough, which also includes beauty without specifically stating it. The faces seem ghostlike, which may be what the petals also seem like.

"Casabianca" by Hemans

In Hemans’s poem “Casabianca,” the boy standing on the deck is the most prominent image and is also the most important. It is the whole focus of the poem, and is, therefore, the most significant image given in the poem. This image is presented in the first line of the poem and then again at the end. However, these two images offer different ideas about the boy. One image makes him seem helpless, while the other makes him seem valiant. Some subtle images given in the poem are that of the flame shining on the dead and the battle’s wreck.

As the image of the boy standing on the deck occurs twice in the poem presenting two contrary views of this boy, the poem makes a transformation from beginning to end. The poem starts as a grim description of a lonely boy amidst the destruction after a battle, while the end describes the boy as a heroic character. It may be interpreted as a transition for a boy into manhood. In a picture of chaos, confusion, and abandonment, the boy is all alone. This is like a boy at the start of puberty because he is alone in his feelings and his changes. As these changes occur, feelings of confusion and abandonment may be felt, as well as an occurrence of chaotic events in his life. Also taking place is illumination. When puberty occurs, a person usually stands out from everyone else who has already been through the process. The boy stands out from all the dead bodies like a child stands out among adults.

In the second paragraph of the poem, the transformation occurs. The boy is all of a sudden “beautiful and bright,” in comparison to when he was alone and in a scene of chaos. He has an air about him as if this is what he has been waiting for his whole life. This is his moment and time. In this place, alone, he is the hero. He is strong and powerful. As this transition occurs, he still looks like a boy, but he has changed into something more: a man. He has become a man with pride and power, with beauty and brute.

Dr. Italy

Hello, everyone! I am not quite sure if I am doing this right, but I can only hope and pray. The title of my blog is “Dr. Italy.” It is not the most creative title, but I am not the most creative person. It is, however, a very inspired title. Let me start with the “Italy” part. I am Italian. It is a simple fact. My mother’s father immigrated to the United States from a little town called Bari, which is in the Southern part of Italy, near the boot-shaped portion. What makes me a little different is that I am a proud Italian, trying to live up to my full Italian potential. I try with my utmost will and power to be everything an Italian is supposed to be. I visited Italy, and I could definitely see myself calling it home. It is beautiful, scorching, and has the best food in the world. I put “Italy” because it is not only part of my heritage but it is also what I hope to be part of my future. Now I will explain the “Dr.” part of the title. Ever since I was extremely young, I have been very indecisive on a future career choice. However, a few years ago, I made a career choice that I plan to pursue in my near future. Another big influence on my life besides my heritage is psychology and depression. After seeing and experiencing it throughout my life, I decided that I want to work with people who have brain disorders and mental illnesses. I particularly want to work with children because I have always loved children, and I have been a nanny for 5 boys for 3 years. I believe that the title “Dr. Italy” is a pretty fit description of me and is, therefore, a fit title for my blog.