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The Black Walnut Tree By Mary Oliver

526 Words3 Pages

In “The Black Walnut Tree,” Mary Oliver’s use of metaphor, hyperbole, and personification conveys the walnut tree to be an integral symbol of the family's history that's worth is being challenged in a time of financial struggle to underscore the importance of preserving family values. Caught in a moral dilemma, a woman and her mother must raise enough money to pay their mortgage and turn to their sacred family landmark, a black walnut tree, that threatens their property while also holding sentimental significance.
A metaphor in the form of a simile provides insight into how the tree signifies the family’s work ethic and trade. When considering selling the tree, the daughter reminds herself that “something brighter than money / moves in [her] blood- an edge / sharp and quick as a trowel / that wants [her] to dig and sow'' (lines 17-19). A metaphorical edge for farm labor that is described to have the swiftness of a trowel, conveys the family’s history and passion for their trade, which is embodied by the tree. The daughter’s realization provides a solution of working for money to keep the tree, allowing them to preserve their past. …show more content…

The daughter confesses that if she and her mother sold the tree that “[they]’d crawl with shame / in the emptiness [they]’d made / in [their] own and [their] fathers’ backyard” (lines 27-30). Oliver’s use of “crawl” is overdramatic for the purpose of highlighting that the tree truly is an integral symbol of the family’s values because disregarding them would evoke a negative response. This threat of humiliation and regret guides the family to uphold the value of the tree and the memory of their

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