Help with the meaning

Question

hello,

Here are the 4 stanzas of a simple poem “tree”

1] “It takes much time to kill a tree
Not a simple job of knife will do it
It has grown slowly, consuming the earth.”

What does the phrase “consuming the earth” mean? Does it mean depending on the earth? Living on it? Feed on it?
In what other ways can we express the second line “not a…..do it” and what does “a simple job of knife” refer to”?

2] “Rising out of it,
Feeding upon its crust,
Absorbing years of sunlight, air, water,
And out of its leprous hide sprouting leaves”

What does the “its” refer to in the 4th line? The earth’s? Or the bark of the tree?

3] Out of the anchoring earth
It is to be roped…..and pulled out

What does “anchoring earth” mean?

4] And the strength of the tree exposed
The source, white and wet
The most sensitive, hidden from years
Inside the earth

What does it mean to say that the strength of the tree is exposed?
What does “hidden from years” mean? Does it mean the same as hidden for years?

Thanks

Maj · Accepted Answer

Does it mean that the roots of the tree are under earth? that the roots are hidden? Similarly, the soul of a person is hidden. Would it mean that this tree shows the strength but protects its most sensitive parts so as to survive the inclemency of the weather? In other words, it would mean that although it has a strong aspect outside, it is also feeble inside.

Bubu prasant · Answer

Thanks maj,

That was a nice interpretation. Let's wait and see how the others interprete that one and answer the rest of the questions.

Bubu

Miriam · Answer

Hello, bubu

Poetry is not my strong point, but I can always give it a try. The following is my own interpretation of the lines you posted, and I might be completely wrong!

1. I agree with you on "cosuming the earth". It must mean "feeding on it". "Depending from it" and "living on it" have a similar meaning.

The second part is not so easy for me. I have two different ideas about the "simple knife job". The first that came to my mind was that you will need more than just a knife to kill a tree... but probably that's to literal.
My other idea is that, even when a tree can be felled, that action itself won't kill it, at least not immediately. It's like when you pluck a flower from a garden: it will still live for days (remember these are only opinions).

2. The poem says "feeding" on its crust so, to me, "its" refers to the earth's crust.

3. "Anchoring earth" is the soil. The tree is sort of "anchored" by means of its roots.

4. I'm not quite sure about this on, but I think the tree's strength is "the source, white and wet". It may be the "sap" of the tree... if sap is the right word.
I don't know about "hidden from years". Could it mean that the sap has remained "alive", so to speak, despite whatever the outward appearance of the tree might be? If that's so, perhaps we could say that the tree's strength/sap has actually been "hidden from years" as in "unaffected" by the passing of time.

Who knows? This is just my personal interpretation, and I'm aware it may be far from the real meaning of the poem.

Miriam

Bubu prasant · Answer

Dear Miriam,

Your interpretation of the first stanza was very intereting. Infact I'm going to tell my students to think about your interpretation. You are right. there is no fun if we take things literally when it comes to understanding a poem.

By the way, You may want to read what people in other sites have answered on this. This one below is one I liked best. [ I will certainly add your interpretation of the first line to the things below]

Stanza 1:

I think "consuming the earth" means "feeding from it" or "eating what is in the earth." I don't think it has a negative meaning, like we would find in "The fire consumed the house." In spoken English, we would probably say "A simple job of knife will not (won't) do it"--the poet is playing with word order to fit the rhythum of the poem. (This involves "iambic pentameter," but that is beyond what we need to explain here.) As for "A simple job of knife,"in combination with the rest of the line, basically means, "You can't kill a tree just by cutting it with a knife." The "job" refers to the actual action of cutting.

Stanza 2:
"its" refers to the tree, and I can see how this can be confusing, because in "rising out of it," "it" refers to the earth.

Stanza 3:
Ah, another component of "fancy English"--this features a gerund (also known as "-ing verb") acting as an adjective. "anchoring earth" means "the earth that anchors the tree"~~or, "holds the tree down." (This uses the same idea as a ship's anchor~~-something that holds something else in one fixed, unchanging position.)

Stanza 4:

This occurs after the tree is pulled out of the ground, in stanza 3. After that action, the roots are exposed, and I assume that this is what the poet means--the roots are the "strength of the tree," since they hold it in the ground and provide water for the rest of the tree.

"Hidden from years" is a metaphor, and "years" does not carry its literal meaning. It does not mean the same as "hidden for years." "Hidden from years" means that it was hidden from the "forces of time"~~wind, snow, fire, rain, animals, human activity~~-all the things that might damage or destroy things in the world. ("Hidden for years" would mean that it was kept in secret or in hiding for some number of years, and I'm pretty sure the poet is going for the other meaning here.)

Tell me what you think of it

Bubu

Miriam · Answer

Hello, Bubu

The interpretation you posted is very good, and it was obviously written by someone who knows about poetry. I could hardly remember what "iambic pentameter" meant when I read it. I was taught how to analyse poetry "formally" many years ago but, as happens with most things you don't practise often, I have forgotten much of it now.

I must apologise because I misread your question for stanza #2 and I gave the referent for "its" in "its crust". That was not what you asked, and I have only just seen it. I agree that "its leprous hide" refers to the tree trunk or even its bark.

The only little problem I've found is "anchoring". It's referred to as a "gerund" when it is actually a present participle.

This interpretation is very interesting, and explained in detail. Again, I like it.
Thank you very much for sharing it.

Miriam

Help with the meaning

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions