My Poetry thoughts
By robert Barnes
“Wind and Tree” by Paul Muldoon The poem can be found here: http://belfastgroup.digitalscholarship.emory.edu/groupsheets/muldoon2_10121/ I found this poem fascinating because it was very unlike his other works that I have read through. He does not use metaphors and allusions to speak on biblical matters, but rather to speak of the world today. “Wind and Tree” spoke powerfully to me, opening my eyes to a way of the world I had not previously thought of. It provided me with a change of perspective, allowing me to compare the actions of the trees to those of my own and those around me. Even after spending some time processing and doing other daily things, I still often thought about Muldoon’s words and my place in society. As the poem begins, Muldoon opens with a simile about the similarity between the motions of the earth and the nature of humanity. Through his comparison of humans to trees and the location of the wind to the self-centeredness of humans, it almost appears that he is attempting to lift up humanity out of a corrupted lifestyle or dirty the innocence of nature in order to make us feel more connected to the planet. He does not place himself above the masses of the people, however, because he comments that everything is “centered about ourselves,” showing that he is aware of his position in the circumstances that he is describing. By using the “trees” as a metaphor for the interactions between people, he is also able to use the “wind” in place of the occurrences in the world. His vivid imagery creates a perfect mental picture as he describes the violent motions between the trees as they are “grinding” and “breaking” each other, rubbing “madly together and together.” The way he talks about how certain trees break, while others survive, is a comment on the thoughtlessness for others that we carry throughout our daily lives. He is drawing attention to our inconsideration of how we will affect those around us. However, at the end of the poem, he also says how he uses this nature to his advantage by telling “new weather,” meaning he can notice the changes in the world by the way that people around him are affecting his life. He talks of being alone, “the single tree, going nowhere,” yet he reveals that this is not so, admitting that even he has “broken bones.” Once again, as I read this poem, my understanding of my place in the world changed. I began to think more about the views that Muldoon was pointing out to me: I am not completely intangible in the world and my actions affect other people, regardless whether I think they will or not, and society has lost its care for the others around us. I am now trying to live a more wholesome life, full of consideration and recognition for other people. Due to Muldoon’s words, the belief that the responsibility of helping others and displaying care falls upon us has been reinforced. I also try to explain these views to others, in order to raise the level of consciousness that we have in our everyday lives so that we may all improve the condition of the world.
2 Comments
Megan S. WV
1/11/2017 08:32:10 am
Robby, I really liked your analysis of the poem. It's good that you caught the connections between the nature described and the rest of the world, and I also like that you pointed out the fact that it wasn't a biblical allusion as opposed to many other poems. I also like to think about how other people think and feel, and that it is important for the well being of the community. I think your way of thinking about the poem is essential to understanding it completely.
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Robby B
1/13/2017 10:24:42 am
Thank you for your response Megan! I am glad that you appreciate the variety found in this poem from his other works. It was truly a refreshing break from deciphering his numerous biblical allusions.
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