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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.
Trees. 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;
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,
- Summary
- Themes
- Structure and Form
- Poetic Techniques
- Analysis of Trees
- Similar Poems
The poem begins with the speaker stating that he will never see a poem that is more beautiful than a tree. He does not believe that humanity is capable of making something better than what God has made. The following lines are devoted to the type of tree he has in mind. It will have an intimate connection to the earth and its elements. There will b...
Throughout ‘Trees’ Kilmer explores themes of God’s creation, wonder, and nature. The poem celebrates the world that the Christian God created and wonders over its vast complexity. The speaker knows, very clearly and fully, that he’ll never see/write a poem as “lovely as a tree”. Through this statement, he is admitting his own inability to live up t...
Joyce Kilmer’s poem is made upof twelve lines which are separated into six sets of two lines, or couplets. Kilmer has chosen to conform the poem to a consistent rhyme scheme of aa bb cc dd ee aa. The poet has also selected to utilize an almost entirely unifying metrical pattern. All the lines, except one, are written in iambic tetrameter. The eleve...
Kilmer makes use of several poetic techniques within ‘Trees’. These include anaphora, alliteration, enjambment, personification, and repetition. The latter, repetition, is the use and reuse of a specific technique, word, toneor phrase within a poem. In the case of this poem, repetition, of rhyme and word choice, is primarily responsible for the sin...
Lines 1-4
The first couplet begins with a simple, yet impactful statement about the future. Kilmer’s speaker declares, without any further introduction, that he will “never see / A poem lovely as a tree.” His words are straightforward and easily accessible, an appealing aspect of this piece. He knows without a doubt, that every tree on the planet is greater and more “lovely” than even the most beautiful poem.These lines are made even more rhythmic by the use of alliteration with the words “shall” and “...
Lines 5-8
In the third couplet, the speaker develops the character of this kind of tree further. Due to its position on the planet, and its generally unchanging structure, it is always facing God. It “looks at God all day.” This fact is to the tree’s benefit. Its religiosity makes it at once more and less human. The tree finds a connection with a God as much of humanity does, but it is more devoted than any could hope to be. In the next lines, the speaker refers to the perennial plant as “her.” This is...
Lines 9-12
In the second to last couplet, the speaker continues to describe how the impact of the seasons on the plant. The “tree” has become quite specific at this point. It has moved from a generalized, all-encompassing symbol to a specific plant the speaker can recall in detail. When winter comes, there will be “snow” on the “bosom” of the tree. It will rest there gently, doing no harm to “her” branches. The speaker concludes these descriptions with a reference to the rain. Just like the sun and the...
There are many wonderful poems written throughout the ages that focus on the wonder of the natural world. It is a continual subject of interest for poets around the world. In this particular poem, Kilmer brings together a religious view on life and a love for the natural world. Similar content can be found in Elizabeth Barrett Browning‘s ‘Out in th...
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- October 9, 1995
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Trees (poem) Joyce Kilmer's Columbia University yearbook photograph, c. 1908. " Trees " is a lyric poem by American poet Joyce Kilmer. Written in February 1913, it was first published in Poetry: A Magazine of Verse that August and included in Kilmer's 1914 collection Trees and Other Poems. [1][2][3] The poem, in twelve lines of rhyming couplets ...
Apr 28, 2023 · 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.
Apr 1, 2016 · Read a selection of poems about trees, including Joyce Kilmer's "Trees": "I think that I shall never see / A poem lovely as a tree."
