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S. Merwin's Essay 'Unchopping A Tree'

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There's little to no challenge in chopping a tree down, but what kind of challenge would be faced when putting back together a tree that has already fallen? Clear concise instructions are required, and that's what W.S. Merwin (292) provided in his essay "Unchopping a Tree.” Merwin clearly suggests an insightful meaning with his absurdity in his instructions of actually unchopping a tree. Merwin’s thoughts are implying that after ecological destruction of sorts, the efforts to restore our environment is just as difficult as putting a tree back together. In his piece, Merwin focuses on persuading the reader to preserve trees through a well-articulated position employing an important message: the irreversible effects of deforestation and how it …show more content…

We find Merwin takes a couple different approaches to his persuasion, the first position being in the first half in the essay when he makes it apparent to the reader the complexity of our environment and what the real life application of "unchopping a tree" would actually entail. “Now the tackle must be put into place or the scaffolding, depending on the surroundings and the dimensions of the tree. It is ticklish work.”(292-293) We find the speaker adopts a second person perspective in a very directive manner while listing instructions on how to put a tree back together. The steps taken in this essay to repair a tree and care for its surroundings is the kind of consciousness needed in the first place to protect and preserve the trees and the ecosystem that surrounds them. The tone Merwin used is important because it is constructive. His tone is not accusing, or outrageous, but the only call for action the speaker implies is the description of doing the impossible. If Merwin did not take the approach he did when establishing his tone, it could potentially diminish the effect on the reader if the reader feels attacked or judged, damaging the audience’s opinion. Merwin simply wanted to make the reader think about how much our environment matters, how delicate, and how irreversible the effects on it are, beyond mainstream

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