1. "A poem should be palpable and mute / As a globed fruit"
* Image: A smooth, round fruit, suggesting completeness and ripeness.
* Meaning: This evokes the idea of a poem being compact, self-contained, and full of meaning, needing no further explanation. It should be ripe with emotion and thought, delivered silently.
2. "The poem should be equal to: / Not true"
* Image: This is more of a concept than a visual image.
* Meaning: The poem shouldn't aim to be strictly "true" in a literal sense. Poetry deals with emotion, experience, and perception, which often go beyond literal truth.
3. "A poem should be wordless / As the flight of birds"
* Image: Birds soaring effortlessly through the sky.
* Meaning: The poem should feel natural and unforced, flowing effortlessly from the poet's soul. It should be more about the experience of reading it than the literal meaning of the words.
4. "A poem should be motionless in time / As the moon climbs / Leaving, behind her, the tides"
* Image: The moon's slow, steady movement across the sky, leaving a trail of tides.
* Meaning: The poem should possess a sense of timelessness and permanence. It should resonate with the reader long after they finish reading it, just like the tides continue to move even after the moon has passed.
5. "A poem should be color-less, as the light"
* Image: Sunlight, devoid of any specific color but encompassing all colors.
* Meaning: Poetry should be universal and encompassing. It should transcend specific details and speak to the human condition in a broader sense.
These are just some of the most prominent images used in "Ars Poetica." The poem is rich in symbolism and open to interpretation, making it a powerful and thought-provoking exploration of what poetry can be.