The Tree

Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson 1832 (Kvikne) – 1910 (Paris)



Ready with leaves and with buds stood the tree.
"Shall I take them?" the frost said, now puffing with glee.
     "Oh my, no, let them stand,
      Till flowers are at hand!"
All trembling from tree-top to root came the plea.

Flowers unfolding the birds gladly sung.
"Shall I take them?" the wind said and merrily swung.
     "Oh my, no, let them stand,
      Till cherries are at hand!"
Protested the tree, while it quivering hung.

The cherries came forth 'neath the sun's glowing eye.
"Shall I take them?" a rosy young girl's eager cry.
     "Oh my, yes, you can take,
      I've kept them for your sake!"
Low bending its branches, the tree brought them nigh.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 04, 2023

35 sec read
128

Quick analysis:

Scheme aaBba ccBbc ddeed
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 654
Words 122
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 5, 5, 5

Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson

Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson was a Norwegian writer who received the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature "as a tribute to his noble, magnificent and versatile poetry, which has always been distinguished by both the freshness of its inspiration and the rare purity of its spirit", becoming the first Norwegian Nobel laureate. Bjørnson is considered to be one of The Four Greats (De Fire Store) among Norwegian writers, the others being Henrik Ibsen, Jonas Lie, and Alexander Kielland. Bjørnson is also celebrated for his lyrics to the Norwegian National Anthem, "Ja, vi elsker dette landet". more…

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