Black Walnut Tree

Jeanette’s mother said this to her when Jeanette wanted to replant a Joshua tree to protect it from the wind and make it grow tall and straight. Jeanette's mom refuses and tells her that the struggle is important, using imagery to help prove her point. This is important thematically because it is saying that it's the struggle and the process that counts, not just the result or the outside beauty. Jeanette’s mom is saying that it is not the endgame that counts, but rather the steps taken to reach that endgame.

She is explaining a deeper meaning using nature as her based. She states that things can seems perfect, but can change quickly. For example: pain and illness. Sometimes we can bear these problems and have to give in. You don’t know when death will come because it’s uncertain. She describe this reality with the sky becoming saturated as the color of the clouds turn gray. At any moment it can fall and it did. It hit the small leafs, but also affected the old elm tree which can only take a small of amount rain. The ground failed first then the tree, all that was left was

Mary and Karl’s contrasting interactions with the tree encapsulate their differing personalities. This makes Karl a blossoming flower in comparison to

However, unlike Paul D, Sethe thinks about trees to calm the pain and suffering she went through as a slave. During her time spent in slavery, Sethe witnessed events such as whippings, lynching, and hangings. In her memory, Sethe choses to focus on other things such as plants and trees preventing her from reliving painful memories. “Boys hanging from the most beautiful sycamores in the world,”...“ Try as she might to make it otherwise, the sycamores beat out the children every time and she could not forgive her memory for that.”(Morrison 7) Another instance where Sethe looks to trees for healing and escape is when she describes the scar on her back to Paul D. “I have never seen it and I never will, but that is what she said it looked like. A chokecherry tree. Trunk, branches, even leaves. Tiny little chokecherry leaves.”(Morrison 18) Sethe also views plants as a life force and seems to always acknowledge them during the moments in which she is happiest. For example, living in freedom with her family, Sethe describes the beauty of the day. “The sky was blue and clear. Not one touch of death in the definite green of the leaves. She could hear birds and, faintly, the stream way down in the meadow.”(Morrison 162) Overall, Sethe's relationship with plants is that she views them as a life source with the power to distract and heal her from the abominable memories that still haunt

Change is inevitable; as the years go on, everything is always either improving or weakening, but still changing. Nothing can prevent change, but there are still those who ignore it and refuse it. Individuals refused to accept their past because they do not want to change, they want to focus on the present. In Mary Oliver’s free verse poem, The Black Walnut Tree, the daughter discusses the argument with her mother regarding the selling of their Black Walnut Tree, commenting on it’s personal history with her ancestors. In the poem, Oliver contrasts the daughter’s disagreeing perception of the mother’s consumeristic urges to sell their tree with her need to preserve it and its memories through the use of dark, gloomy word choice and varying concepts of time, illustrating the everlasting effect and importance of one’s past and ancestry on the present.

The first few lines contain morbid diction such as “churn”, “dark”, and “smashing” in order to set up a negative tone so that the true value of the tree that is later realized can be emphasized as much as possible. For example, Oliver later writes that the speaker and her mother feel “something brighter that money” moving in their blood, something calling them “to dig and sow.” The words “dig and sow” are so much more positively moving than the negative words in the previous lines, for they call the speaker and her mother to action while they “don’t do anything” in a period of inaction. Through the previously mentioned honor of their forefathers, the speaker and her mother are motivated to “dig and sow” a better life for their future. Much like crops and trees that only yield fruitful results after a long growing season, the speaker and her mother become momentarily inspired by all the family heritage and labor that the walnut tree represents to do something more productive than sitting around and debating on whether or not to sell their tree. Through the lengthy decision process with the speaker, her mother, and their tree, Oliver illustrates an example of the money acquired from a quick financial gain being much less valuable than the potential wealth available through hard work inspired by a symbol of family

Once at the top of the hill he sees that the tree is no longer bearing fruit. Because the tree is no longer bearing fruit, it represents the fact that their friendship is no longer intact. Their two names are still carved on the tree but the tree is dead. I think the reason the tree is dead is because just like that tree their friendship is dead.

He went on with his own life, somewhat abandoning the tree he used to play with all day. Due to the boy’s lack of presence, the tree felt lonely. However, there were times where the boy returned to its loving best friend, the tree. The tree would feel euphoria overcoming her roots. This time, however, the boy had no intention on playing with the tree. He wanted something else, money to be exact and material things. The tree, with its compassionate heart, was self-giving and wanted to give the boy anything he asked for. So she did, she gave humbly everything the boy asked for; until all was left of her was an old

“I’m sorry, ”said the tree, “but I have no money. I have only leaves and apples. Take my apples, Boy, and sell them in the city. Then you will have money and you will be happy." (page 31 )

The poem "The Black Walnut Tree" by Mary Oliver, starts with a mothers and her young daughter making a hard decision of how they will come up with the means to pay the mortgage. Since the young girl's mother is looking for ways to pay their mortgage, it can be reasonably inferred that the girls father has passed away. This mother has the option of selling a walnut tree in her yard that would cover her mortgage. The walnut tree in question is getting older and will not continue to be fruitful for long. This tree could be the answer to this family's problems, but it holds sentimental value.

Throughout this poem, the author is attempting to explain his emotions of regret and sorrow by using different literary devices such as imagery and metaphors to compare the death of his apple tree to the death of a family member or close friend. Towards the beginning of the poem, the speaker uses imagery when he says, “Is the scent of apple boughs smoking in the woodstove

They used branches as a punishment in old England to cleanse a criminal of evil. you can used the wood to smoke your foods as well it gives it a great smoke flavor. Birch was put over babies cradles to protect them. St Brigid bed was made from birch branches. baby birches are put in stables to help fruitfulness. A Russian fairy tale goes like this, this witch Baba Yaga goes around the forest that she lives in and sweeps away the footprints that she may have left behind with a birch tree broom. A birch tree signifies love it is said that if you give a birch branch from a boy to a girl as a love token meant constancy. birch is also the tree used for maypole which is where people dance around it at Beltane. Birch known as a tree for new beginnings and establishments. The birch tree is white or Grey bark they are tall and very pretty trees. You can use birch tree for a witch's besom. The birch tree is for making fresh starts and new beginnings. The birch Fairy is one that can help you let go of your stress and help you renew yourself she will get very upset if the trees around her are

The symbolism that the forest gave us is that when we now that we are doing something wrong, we like to continue doing it. Even if someone who loves us and want the best for us tell us that it is wrong, something we do not listen. We just listen went it is too late for regret. In the story The Young Goodman Brown had someone to try to stop him, but he did not listen. He regret when it was too late for doing something, and maybe the life gave to him another chance for do the things rights and for this he believed that it was a

The Giving Tree is a poem which entails various meanings and context. Many people dispute about exactly what it signifies, however, one thing for certain is the demonstration of emotion. The tree’s devotion and affection for the boy. This poem portrays the selfless tree giving all she is able to, not keeping score, or how the boy focuses more on want than need, and ultimately, how being there for your loved one can lead to destruction or a long-lasting relationship. No one could compare to the generosity shown by the tree; being able to give everything and not asking for anything, but happiness, in return.

“The Black Walnut Tree” by Mary Oliver begins with the line “My mother and I debate”. There are two characters introduced: the narrator and her mother. In a typical family, there is a mother, daughter, and father. The lack of a father in this introduction stands out. This is furthered by the line “two women trying / in a difficult time to be wise”. The author highlights the lack of the father once again by saying “two women”, in order to clearly demonstrate the lack of male, fatherly figure. Lacking a fatherly figure makes the phrase “a difficult time” more meaningful; it implies that not only has the family become poor, the family has also lost its patriarch. Later in the poem, however, the narrator “dream[s] / of my fathers out of Bohemia / filling the blue fields”. The author uses alliteration here with “blue” and “Bohemia”, and even further back with “brighter” and “blood”. The use of the letter b is kind of forceful and proud, which entails with the message the poem is sending. The imagery in this part of the poem is also very vivid. The narrator says that her ancestors planted and by imagining it, she implies that she believes that they planted the walnut tree in her backyard. Instead of using “ancestors”, the author chooses to use the word “fathers”. This use of metonymy fills the gap in the family of two women from earlier. Knowing that there is no father in the picture, this revelation of ancestors as fathers makes the ancestors far more