Answer: The speaker describes the strong connection between the urban life and natural world. Moreover, he reminds us that our sight and brain (imagination) are closely related.
Explanation:
In this short poem by Ezra Pound, the speaker describes the faces he sees in a metro station. In doing so, he uses the term ''crowd'' to point out that the station is very busy. The word ''apparition'' (meaning a ghost-like image or person) contributes to the chilling atmosphere of the poem.
This image is compared to that of ''petals on a wet, black bough''. By using this unusual comparison, the speaker conveys that people on the platform resemble flower petals on a tree branch after rain.
While comparing those two images, the speaker connects his reality to imagination. Moreover, he relates urban, city life to a completely different environment - the nature. However, the speaker suggests that there are certain similarities in those two extremes after all.
