Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"The Great Tree" is a poem by Michael Ondaatje. It was first published in his poetry collection "Secular Love" in 1984. The poem explores the idea of a great tree that is witness to the events of the world over time.

Explanation:

The poem starts with the speaker describing a great tree with its roots in the ground and its branches stretching up towards the sky. The tree is depicted as a symbol of time and history, with the speaker suggesting that it has witnessed the events of the world over many centuries. The speaker describes how the tree has been a witness to the rise and fall of empires and the changing fortunes of mankind.

The second stanza of the poem introduces the idea that the tree is a kind of living record of history, a repository of all that has come before it. The speaker describes how the tree remembers the people who have come and gone, and how it has witnessed their joys and sorrows, their love and their pain.

In the final stanza, the speaker turns his attention to the present moment and reflects on the significance of the tree in the here and now. He suggests that the tree has the power to inspire us and to connect us to something greater than ourselves. The poem ends with the image of the great tree standing tall and strong, a testament to the endurance of life.

Poetic Elements:

• Form: The poem consists of three stanzas, each comprising four lines.
• Imagery: The poem is filled with vivid and powerful images of the great tree, which is depicted as a symbol of time and history.
• Personification: The tree is personified throughout the poem, with the speaker describing it as a living witness to the events of the world.
• Repetition: The phrase "the great tree" is repeated throughout the poem, reinforcing its importance as a central image.

Poem Snippet:

"The great tree stretches up to the sky

And down into the ground,

Its roots a labyrinth of memory,

Its branches a canopy of stars."

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