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Analysis of Kilmer's "Trees" Poem

The poem describes a tree as being more beautiful than any poem. It depicts the tree as having a mouth pressed against the earth, looking at God all day in prayer with its leafy arms, possibly wearing a nest of robins in its hair during summer. The tree intimately lives with rain and snow has lain upon its bosom. While the poet claims they are a fool for making poems, only God can create an actual tree.

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Malachi is survivin
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33 views2 pages

Analysis of Kilmer's "Trees" Poem

The poem describes a tree as being more beautiful than any poem. It depicts the tree as having a mouth pressed against the earth, looking at God all day in prayer with its leafy arms, possibly wearing a nest of robins in its hair during summer. The tree intimately lives with rain and snow has lain upon its bosom. While the poet claims they are a fool for making poems, only God can create an actual tree.

Uploaded by

Malachi is survivin
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Trees

by Alfred Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918)*

I think that I shall never see


A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest


Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,


And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear


A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;


Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,


But only God can make a tree.

Fixed Form: Lyrical (6 Couplets, skillfully written, single


emotion dominates)

Rhyme Scheme: aa bb cc dd ee aa

Feet: Iambic (syllables are grouped in twos with the


second stressed)

Meter: Tetrameter (four groups of Iambs)

Example:
- = Unstressed
/ = Stressed

- / - / - / - /
I think that I shall nev er see
- / - / - / - /
A po em love ly as a tree

Stylistic Devices:
Personification (Throughout the piece)
Simile (Poem as lovely as a tree)
Metaphor (the earth’s breast – ie Mother Earth)
Imagery (prest against the earth's sweet flowing breast – rather than simply
saying it is rooted in the ground)
Synesthesia (“earth’s sweet flowing breast” – 2 senses combined. Sweet:taste
and flowing:sight)
Passive Voice (Upon whose bosom snow has lain – the poem is about the tree,
so passive voice is used when describing the snow)
Periodicity (I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree – puts the
emphasis on the word tree)
Anaphora (“A Tree” repeated beginning – again for emphasis)
Assonance (“whose bosom” – sweet vowel sounds add to feminine nature of the
tree)
Irony (“Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree.” – an
image of a tree has been ‘made’ in our mind by this poem)

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