Analyze Trees by Joyce Kilmer

Name: Lê Phương Nghi ( Nelly )
Trees by Joyce Kilmer

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 rain

Who intimately lives in rain
Poems are made by fools like me
But only God can make a tree.
A speaker in Joyce Kilmer's "Trees" passionately asserts that no work of art,

particularly a tree, can surpass one of God's creations. The speaker of the poem
declares at the outset that he has never seen a poem more lovely than a tree. He thinks
that humankind is incapable of creating anything more superior than what God has
created. The kind of tree he envisions is the subject of the words that follow. It will be
closely linked to the planet and its constituent elements. Summertime will see birds
building their nests in the branches, while winter will bring soft snow to the tree's
"bosom." The speaker of the poem explains in its conclusion that nothing that
humanity creates would ever be more beautiful than what is currently in existence.
The poem by Joyce Kilmer consists of twelve lines divided into six couplets, or sets of
two lines. Kilmer has decided to keep the poem's rhyme scheme constant at aa bb cc
dd ee aa. Additionally, the poet has chosen to employ a metrical pattern that is nearly
wholly unifying. With the exception of one, every line is written in iambic tetrameter.
The piece's eleventh line eliminates the unstressed syllable after starting on a stressed
one.
With the theme of nature and trees, the poem opens with the first four lines:
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.
The opening couplet opens with a straightforward but powerful prognosis. Without
providing any background information, Kilmer's speaker states that he will "never
see / A poem lovely as a tree." One thing that makes this piece intriguing is how
simple and easy to understand his sentences are. He is certain that every tree on the
earth is more significant and "lovely" than even the most exquisite sonnet. The
alliteration of the words "shall" and "see" adds even more rhythm to these sentences.
He shifts in the next few lines from a broad description of all trees to a single species
or variety. He is referring to a tree that has its "hungry mouth...prest" to the ground. It
is becoming sweeter off the "earth's...breast" as a result of absorbing the nutrients
from the soil. These words blatantly employ personification, a device the author
employs throughout the entire poem. It's applied to try and give the impression that
something inanimate is more real. A human subject makes it easier for the reader to
relate to it. The human connection is crucial because, in addition to making the tree
more approachable by personifying it, humans frequently elevate themselves in order
to establish a connection with nature.
Next, in the third couplet, the speaker develops the character of this kind of tree
further:
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.
It is always facing God because of its location on the earth and its relatively stable
structure. It “looks at God all day.” The tree benefits from this fact. It is both more
and less human because of its religiosity. Like most people, the tree connects with
God, but its devotion to him is greater than anyone's could ever be. The speaker
addresses the evergreen plant as "her" in the following lines. This directly relates to
the more expansive representation of "Mother Earth," a dominant female figure on the
world—or, to be more precise, the planet itself—that is in charge of the development
and maintenance of life. She spends all day looking to God, and “lifts” her “arms to
pray.” The tree is brought back to Earth in the following two sentences. Even though
"she" is loyal, "she" is still a part of the planet. There will be a "nest of robins in her
hair" in the "Summer." The purpose of this amusing line is to make the reader like the
tree. Around the tree, the real, everyday world is still in operation.
The speaker goes on to discuss how the seasons affect the plant in the second-to-last
couplet:
Upon whose bosom snow has rain
Who intimately lives in rain
Poems are made by fools like me
But only God can make a tree.
At this stage, the "tree" has become rather specific. It has changed from being a
universal, all-encompassing emblem to a particular plant that the speaker can clearly
remember. There will be "snow" on the tree's "bosom" when winter arrives. It will
softly rest there, not causing any damage to "her" branches. The speaker mentions the
rain as she wraps up her descriptions. This element, like the sun and the snow, does
nothing to harm or interfere with the tree. Like "she" does with everything else, "she"
lives "intimately with rain." The speaker returns to the piece's central idea—that art
cannot equal nature—in the last two lines. He says that this is because of the nature of
humanity itself. One of God's creatures is superior to any man or woman.
In conclusion, Trees by Joyce Kilmer depicts a stunning natural setting, with each tree
having a unique appeal that embodies the vitality of the entire universe. The poem
marvels at the world's immense intricacy while celebrating its creation by the
Christian God.

Analyze Trees by Joyce Kilmer

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Name: Lê Phương Nghi ( Nelly )

Trees by Joyce Kilmer

A tree that looks at God all day

Upon whose bosom snow has rain

A speaker in Joyce Kilmer's "Trees" passionately asserts that no work of art,

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