Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Denise Levertov’s "A Tree Telling of Orpheus" is a masterful blend of myth and nature, offering a unique perspective on the story of Orpheus through the eyes of a tree. The poem eloquently captures the transformative power of music and storytelling, exploring themes of awakening, connection, and the profound impact of art on the natural world.

The poem begins with a serene, almost mystical dawn: "White dawn. Stillness." This sets a tranquil and expectant mood, immediately drawing the reader into a world on the verge of transformation. The tree, the poem’s narrator, initially mistakes the approaching "rippling" for a sea-wind. However, as the rippling grows nearer, the tree realizes it is not the wind, but something more extraordinary: "my own outermost branches began to tingle, almost as if / fire had been lit below them."

This tingling sensation signifies the tree’s heightened awareness and anticipation. The tree's description of Orpheus’s arrival is imbued with wonder and curiosity: "He was a man, it seemed: the two / moving stems, the short trunk, the two / arm-branches, flexible." By describing Orpheus in botanical terms, Levertov creates a seamless connection between the human and natural worlds, highlighting their intrinsic unity.

Orpheus’s music is depicted as a powerful, almost magical force: "From this, / when he touched it, and from his voice / which unlike the wind’s voice had no need of our / leaves and branches to complete its sound, / came the ripple." The tree's initial perception of the music as a ripple that transforms into a wave illustrates its growing impact, culminating in a profound sense of harmony and awakening within the tree.

As Orpheus sings, the tree undergoes a metamorphosis, experiencing emotions and sensations beyond its usual realm: "I seemed to be singing as he sang, I seemed to know / what the lark knows; all my sap / was mounting towards the sun." This lyrical expression captures the tree’s deep, visceral response to the music, as it becomes attuned to the essence of life and growth.

The tree's interaction with Orpheus reaches its zenith when he leans on its trunk: "Music! There was no twig of me not / trembling with joy and fear." This moment epitomizes the tree's total immersion in the experience, blending joy with a touch of fear, perhaps of the unknown or the intensity of the connection.

The poem’s climax occurs as Orpheus imparts stories of human experiences and dreams: "He told me of journeys, / of where sun and moon go while we stand in dark, / of an earth-journey he dreamed he would take some day / deeper than roots." These revelations expand the tree's understanding, merging the natural and human worlds through shared narratives of existence.

The transformative power of Orpheus’s music is further emphasized when the tree describes its reaction to his songs of fire: "Fire he sang, / that trees fear, and I, a tree, rejoiced in its flames." This paradoxical response illustrates the profound effect of Orpheus’s art, enabling the tree to embrace and transcend its inherent fears.

In the final lines, the tree experiences a symbolic regression and renewal: "I was seed again. / I was fern in the swamp. / I was coal." These lines encapsulate the cyclical nature of life and the timeless impact of Orpheus’s music, which rekindles ancient memories and evokes the primal stages of the tree's existence.

"A Tree Telling of Orpheus" by Denise Levertov is a profound exploration of the interplay between nature and art. Through the tree’s perspective, Levertov illustrates the transformative power of music and storytelling, highlighting the deep connections that bind all forms of life. The poem’s rich imagery and lyrical prose invite readers to reflect on the enduring impact of art and the shared experiences that unite the human and natural worlds.

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