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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
SURFACES AND MASKS; 30, by CLARENCE MAJOR Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: They cut down the last tree Last Line: Kept behind stone walls? Subject(s): Venice, Italy; Deforestation | |||
They cut down the last tree on the campo where I sit near the old boatyard at San Trovaso. The birds also miss it: they fly into the space where it once stood and sink, as though in quicksand. I can now see the path, church, and castle. But did I need to? Rain now falls hard to the ground, with no leaves or limbs to pause on. Yet, when did Venice seriously need trees or gardens not secretly kept behind stone walls? Used with the permission of Copper Canyon Press, P.O. Box 271, Port Townsend, WA 98368-0271, www.cc.press.org | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...BUILDING BOOM by CHARLES REZNIKOFF WHO ROBBED THE WOODS? by EMILY DICKINSON THE LUMBERJACKS by LINDA PASTAN IMPROVED FARM LAND by CARL SANDBURG TWAS 30 YEARS AGO by HENRY DAVID THOREAU READ THE SIGNS by CLARENCE MAJOR THE SYNCOPATED CAKEWALK by CLARENCE MAJOR REVELATION AT CAP FERRAT by CLARENCE MAJOR |
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