Christian Ortiz
Willy Garcia
Amy Arrieta
Lady Montano
Thesis: Man, who is real, is true beauty in comparison to God who is only an illusion.
Diction
Thesis: Beauty is found within the most unexpected.
The first line, “the apparition of these faces in the crowd”, could be considered litotes
because it describes the faces of the crowd with the not so positive word of apparition; however,
it ironically assimilates the faces with wet petals in the second line, which are known to be
beautiful. This unexpected contrasting is what makes this poem so impacting.
This poem was written in antithesis syntax known that the subjects in the two sentences
are contrasts. The apparition of the faces is contrast to the wet petals. The poet makes this
contrast because in the first line it implies how we see other people around the city streets like
ghosts, as if they weren’t human beings; however he then expresses who these people really are
by describing them as wet petals on a black bough, which are beautiful by nature. He uses this
contrast to describe two different perspectives: while one only sees the crowd with no meaning,
the other sees beauty in the people.
Ezra Pound, applied visual imagery throughout his poem including the title. The title
instantly describes the scenario of the poem without the poem actually mentioning it. It goes on
by describing the apparition of the faces in the crowd which could clearly be visualized. Lastly, it
compares the faces with the petals on a wet black bough, and again it could easily be pictured.
Syntax
Antithesis
Ezra Pound also uses a part of syntax in the form of antithesis. Antithesis is "The
juxtaposition of contrasting ideas, often in parallel structure"; or in simpler terms, two words or
objects that are opposite of each other. It can be seen in Pound’s poem that syntax is in use when
he writes, “Petals on a wet, black bough.” Petals, which are on flowers, are beautiful feminine
objects where as a black bough is a representation of an ugly, dark, malignant object. Therefore
these two objects being contrasted is an example of an antithesis.
Syntax
Apposition
In Ezra’s short and confusing poem, there is an example of syntax in the form of
apposition. Apposition is when a sentence is placed side-by-side two nouns, the second of which
serves as an explanation of the first. This can be seen as the whole entire poem is an apposition;
the only problem is that it is difficult to comprehend. “THE apparition of these faces in the
crowd; Petals on a wet, black bough.” The second part of the sentence must have something to
do with the first sentence, because if not the poem would not make sense. You cannot say, “I ate
a potato; couch.” Since this would not make sense. Therefore this leads to believe that apposition
is present for the whole poem.
Figurative Language
There is a metaphor the little two sentences that make a poem like story. The metaphor is
between the comparison of petals and the faces. It compares the petals to the faces by almost
saying that a faces of people look exactly the same and that none of them stand out because they
are all equal. What it also kind of gives to understand is that petals are a beautiful thing maybe
like all the faces.
Another thing it compares is the crowd to the black bough. A black bough is an ugly
branch that is back and that is also compared to the crowd. The crowd is like the background
which is all equal boring and ugly. So when you put a petal in a dark ugly it is definitely going to
stand out and make it something beautiful in something ugly and dark. It is amazing how one
simple sentence or maybe even two, can make you say so much and how it can deliver multiples
and multiples of messages.