"Woodcutter, Don't Cut Down That Tree" written by GEORGE PERKINS MORRIS is a unique lyric poem. The poet expressed his sincere feelings for an old tree in affectionate language and persuaded the woodcutter not to cut down that tree. The poem has remained popular since it was first published in 1830. As industry and urban expansion replaced rural scenes, the poem was cherished as both a reminder of the past and a polite protest against progress. Even those who had never read the poem knew its title and used it as a convenient way to express environmentalist attitudes before environmentalism became a political movement.
Woodcutter, don’t chop down that tree
Woodcutter, don’t chop down that tree!
Don’t touch a branch!
< p> It shaded me when I was young,Now I have to protect it.
This tree was planted by my ancestor himself
beside his hut,
The woodcutter let it stand there,
Don't hurt it with your ax!
That familiar old tree,
Its glory and fame
have spread everywhere,
Do you want to chop it down?
Woodcutter, don’t chop it down!
Its roots are already firmly rooted in the soil;
Oh, don't chop down that old oak tree,
It's a towering tree now!
When I was a kid with nothing to do,
I would often come to its cool shade;
My sisters come here too,
to rejoice and play;
My mother kisses me here ,
Forgive my foolish tears,
Let the old oak tree stay!
My heartstrings are around you, old friend,
As connected to you as the bark of your tree!
When the wild birds sing here,
You will bend the branches,
Old tree! You can still withstand the violent storm!
Woodcutter, leave that place;
When I can still reach out to save it,
Don't hurt it with your axe.
Purpose of the article
The poem itself is about one's feelings for an old oak tree. In fact, what it evokes is people's reminiscence of the past and nostalgia for their ancestors. The yearning for sibling affection and a carefree childhood. This old oak tree contains all the poet's beautiful memories and has profound symbolic significance. Of course, different readers can find different things in the old oak tree and have different understandings of the theme of the poem.
Appreciation
This is a unique lyric poem. The poet expressed his deep feelings for an old tree in affectionate language and persuaded the woodcutter not to cut down that tree.
Structural analysis
There are four stanzas in the whole poem.
Section 1: The opening line: ?Woodcutter, don’t cut down that tree!/Don’t touch a single branch!? A sincere appeal. I scolded the woodcutter sternly, don't chop down that tree! You are not allowed to touch any of its branches. I regard myself as the protector of that tree and do not allow anyone to harm it or destroy it. The next few lines of the poem explain his reasons: "It shaded me when I was young, / now I have to protect it", and "this tree was planted by my ancestor himself / beside his hut".
Section 2: Continuing the first section, further explaining the reasons why the woodcutter was not allowed to chop down the tree. Its glory and fame/have spread everywhere?;? Its roots have been firmly rooted in the soil. ?;And it is now a towering tree. The poet emotionally asked the woodcutter: Do you want to cut down such an old tree?
Section 3: The poet recalled his childhood and the wonderful time the family spent under the shade of the tree. time. My sisters had fun and played under the tree; my mother kissed me here, and my father touched my hand here. Thinking of these, the poet couldn't help crying, and he was simply begging the woodcutter: "Let the old oak tree stay!" The poet's feelings for the old oak tree are evident.
Last stanza: The poet first expressed his true feelings to the old oak tree, showing his deep feelings for the old tree. Then turning to the woodcutter, the poet's attitude changes.
As the emotion intensified, the tone also changed from the initial gentle persuasion, then the sincere plea, to the final stern warning: "Woodcutter, get out of that place", "Don't hurt it with your axe".
As a lyric poem, the author's feelings in the text have changed as follows:
Woodcutter, don't chop down that tree (don't touch a single branch)? Peaceful persuasion
Woodcutter, stop cutting it (let the old oak tree stay)? A sincere plea
Woodcutter, get out of that place (don’t hurt it with your axe)? Stern warning
The poem itself is about one's feelings for an old oak tree. In fact, what it evokes is people's reminiscence of the past, nostalgia for their ancestors, fraternity and carefree love. The longing for childhood life. This old oak tree contains all the poet's beautiful memories and has profound symbolic significance. Of course, different readers can find different things in the old oak tree and have different understandings of the theme of the poem.
Writing features
Popular language and sincere emotions. Combined with the whole poem, we can see that the content of the poem is very intuitive and the language is simple and clear. The poet is sometimes telling, sometimes begging, and sometimes warning. Every line of the poem is full of the author's deep feelings. The author couldn't help but burst into tears because of his deep love! Whether it was recalling or directly expressing emotions, the poems were very popular but also sincere.