Analysis of Go Plant a Tree
Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1855 (Janesville) – 1919
God, what a joy it is to plant a tree,
And from the sallow earth to watch it rise,
Lifting its emerald branches to the skies
In silent adoration; and to see
Its strength and glory waxing with each spring.
Yes, 'tis a goodly, and a gladsome thing
To plant a tree.
Nature has many marvels; but a tree
Seems more than marvellous. It is divine.
So generous, so tender, so benign.
Not garrulous like the rivers; and yet free
In pleasant converse with the winds and birds;
Oh! privilege beyond explaining words,
To plant a tree.
Rocks are majestic; but, unlike a tree,
They stand aloof, and silent. In the roar
Of ocean billows breaking on the shore
There sounds the voice of turmoil. But a tree
Speaks ever of companionship and rest.
Yea, of all righteous acts, this, this is best,
To plant a tree.
There is an oak (oh! how I love that tree)
Which has been thriving for a hundred years;
Each day I send my blessing through the spheres
To one who gave this triple boon to me,
Of growing beauty, singing birds, and shade.
Wouldst thou win laurels that shall never fade?
Scheme | abbaccA addaeeA affaggA ahhaii |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1101111101 010111111 1011010101 010010011 1101010111 110100011 1101 1011010101 11111101 1100110101 11001010011 0101010101 110010101 1101 1101010101 1101010001 1101010101 110111101 110101001 1111011111 1101 1111111111 1111010101 1111110101 1111110111 1101010101 1111011101 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,070 |
Words | 200 |
Sentences | 15 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 7, 7, 7, 6 |
Lines Amount | 27 |
Letters per line (avg) | 31 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 206 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 50 |
Font size:
Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:00 min read
- 142 Views
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"Go Plant a Tree" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/10618/go-plant-a-tree>.
Discuss this Ella Wheeler Wilcox poem analysis with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In