11/19/07-#1

In Bishops's poem, "The Man-Moth" the tone of the writing is very delicate, yet forms deep ideas. I feel like this is such an accurate representation of a subway, or even just a subway station. There is safety deep in the tunnels, yet everything runs on a delicate consistency that can be wavered so easily. The cycle of trains moving in every direction can be confusing yet it is such a constant that hardly anyone forgets their trust in the train. When she writes, " He cannot tell the rate at which he travels backwards" I feel as though this line captures so much about what the subways are for everyone. They trust a silent cycle that could be quite confusing if one were to stay and try to navigate it themselves, but instead, "the pale subways of cement he calls his home." If you live in a city such as New York City, you can rely on the subways, though trains may change, there is still one that can always take you to exactly where you desire to be. Many could call it home in the way that it is always there, a supreme constant in an ever changing city.