Trees- Phillip larkin

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English Literature (Poems) Flashcards on Trees- Phillip larkin, created by aditi bansal on 08/01/2017.
aditi bansal
Flashcards by aditi bansal, updated more than 1 year ago
aditi bansal
Created by aditi bansal over 7 years ago
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Resource summary

Question Answer
Thesis This poem meditates, laments and celebrates the life cycles of trees. It is an evocative mix of emotions, delivered with an economy of words.
Poet Born 1922 – died 1985 of throat cancer Had a stammer as a young child. Graduated from Oxford university in 1943 and became a librarian. He was offered, but declined the position of Poet Laureate in 1984. Known for having “glum-accuracy” in his poetry, and often including ideas of death and fatalism.
Summary Relates the life of trees to human experience. Trees dying and coming into leaf every year parallels the idea of humans overcoming their mistakes and starting new chapters of their life. But that like in rings of grain in trees, the marks of past experiences still remain as memories. Shows that each chapter contains it own trials and tribulations. Hiding age
Structure It has an a,b,b,a c,d,d,c and e,f,f,e rhyming pattern. The poem has an iambic tetrameter, meaning that it consists of four “iambic feet,” thus meaning a total of eight syllables per line. A-B-B-A rhyme scheme – reflects the idea of life beginning over again. 8 syllables per line excluding line 9 which has 9 syllables. 8 is traditionally a symbol of infinity, which connects to the theme of an on going cycle of life.
Themes Nature The Metaphysical Life and Death Growing old and the experiences concerned with growing old. Overcoming all obstacles, moving forward, not grieving for the past, loss, ageing. Teaching us a lesson, of how to learn from trees and their ability to lose their leaves and begin anew. “afresh” “their yearly trick of looking new”- idea of hiding their pain. 3rd stanza – first line has 9 syllables shows a change in tone, from loss to acceptance.
Language Overcoming all obstacles, moving forward, not grieving for the past, loss, ageing. Teaching us a lesson, of how to learn from trees and their ability to lose their leaves and begin anew. “afresh” “their yearly trick of looking new”- idea of hiding their pain. 3rd stanza – first line has 9 syllables shows a change in tone, from loss to acceptance. Repetition of “afresh” echoes the idea of a cycle. (note: onomatopoeia). The effects of time-transience of youth Rebirth-continuous rebirth that the trees are shown to exhibit in spring.Renewal and new beginnings."begin afresh,afresh" Natural cycle used to compare the life-cycle of a tree to a life-cycle of a human and to distinguish between both. Immortality/life and death-referring to the human cycle where life and death are inevitable. Young vs old
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