Friday, January 23, 2009

Poetry Friday -- Irony

There is some argument about what qualifies as ironic, but all senses of irony revolve around the perceived notion of an incongruity between what is said and what is meant; or between an understanding of reality, or an expectation of a reality, and what actually happens. --Wickipedia


TREES
by Joyce Kilmer

(For Mrs. Henry Mills Alden)

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.




Laura Salas has the round up this week.

6 comments:

  1. This is one of my favorite poems. The imagery is just wonderful. Thanks for giving me a new way to look at it.

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  2. Poor tree! We've got some on our property that look like that.

    Kilmer's poem is one of the very first I memorized as a child. Nice to hear it again. :)

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  3. Goodness -- looks like something's eating that tree.

    This was one of my mother's voice lesson SONGS -- I remember her trying to sing it when I was a kid, and giving up in disgust (it has as many ups and downs as the National Anthem).

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  4. Anonymous8:03 PM

    That tree is still lovely, in its way. Poor tree.

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  5. The picture of the tree is striking. I want to paint it!

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  6. That tree has been rode hard and put away wet. Yikes. Great contrast to the poem!

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