At its core, “The Black Walnut Tree” is a conflict between the sentimental and what practically needs to be done. Throughout the poem, the author utilizes a very matter-of-fact and almost dismissive tone as the daughter and her mother debate whether or not to sell the tree and finish paying off a loan that they owe. As the poem progresses, this matter-of-fact tone transitions into figurative language as the black walnut tree takes on a more symbolic view. Mary Oliver shows in “The Black Walnut Tree” that the tree symbolizes the family’s heritage and all that their father has sought to accomplish, and, while the mortgage weighs down the family, cutting down and selling the tree would, in a sense, betray the family and what it stands for. Written in free verse, “The Black Walnut Tree” takes a straight forward and casual approach to the topic and is most apparent
Edith Matilda Thomas, in her vehement sonnet “Winter Leafage,” asserts that we should not “cling” to our past. To develop her claim, Thomas begins by first using imagery to describe a tree that refuses to let go of summer; the tree is “dry, wan, and shivering” in the winter weather because it is clothed in garments that are meant for the summer and this serves to show that by holding onto the past, we fail to live in the present; second, the tree is compared to a “palsied miser” and this reveals how pointless it is for the tree to be holding onto something that has passed; third, personification is used when the tree is said to “sigh, moan, and sing,” which makes a connection between the tree and humans so that it can better be understood that
" This opening sets the tone for the rest of the poem, conveying a sense of melancholy and nostalgia. The poet observes the tree as a symbol of natural beauty and simplicity in contrast
Wordsworth and Muir express their fascination with nature using imagery and mood. In “Calypso Borealis”, John Muir states that he finds himself “glorying in the fresh cool beauty and charm of the bog and meadow heathworts, grasses, carices, ferns, mosses, liverworts displayed in boundless profusion” (Muir). The words “boundless profusion” appeals to the sense of sight and helps us imagine the scene and all the bountiful natural beauty of the place. The image shows Muir’s relationship with nature because it demonstrates his overwhelming, nearly spiritual, experience with nature. In the poem “I wandered lonely as a cloud”,
In Sarah Orne Jewett’s piece, “A White Heron”, tension is continuously built to give a sense of meaning to a young girl’s climb. Her success hinges on her ability to come to and understanding with the wise old tree, so the evolution of their relationship is dramaticized. Even at the start of the piece, the tree’s presence is felt. The author uses personification and polysyndeton to give it qualities similar to an old, wise, tired grandfather who has just encountered something that he’s never seen before. It has outlived the whole forest of “pines and oaks and maples”.
Lastly, Oates depicts one of the trees as being partly dead. This relates to Judd’s idea that everyone is partly dead. The imagery used in this passage reflects Judd’s thoughts and further characterizes him by creating a feeling of gloominess towards
Lewis Thomas, a scholarly, distinguished scientist and scientific writer, writes “On Natural Death” to alleviate fears related to death. Thomas details the naturalness of death and how, when the time has come, they will be guided into death without fears. After his introduction, Thomas introduces the elm tree that fell in his backyard with an anecdote. Thomas begins to appeal to the mournful emotions of his audience admitting that the “...normal-looking elm…” , (in one week) would be “...gone, passed over, departed, taken” (Thomas 1).
