Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Wendell Berry's "Our Christmas Tree" is a reflective and intimate portrayal of a family's approach to the traditional Christmas tree, emphasizing simplicity, natural beauty, and the significance of personal and spiritual connections over commercialization. Through the description of their Christmas tree, Berry articulates a broader critique of modern society's obsession with ostentation and self-promotion, advocating instead for a return to authenticity, tradition, and the essence of the Christmas spirit.

The poem begins by delineating what their Christmas tree is not: "not electrified, is not / covered with little lights / calling attention to themselves." This opening establishes a contrast with the conventional, commercially popular Christmas trees adorned with electric lights and ornaments that compete for attention. Berry's rejection of such decorations reflects a desire to move away from the superficial and the attention-seeking, which he sees as pervasive in contemporary culture ("we have had enough of little / lights calling attention / to themselves").

Instead, the family's Christmas tree is a cedar cut from their own land, tying the tree not only to the celebration of Christmas but also to the specificities of their place and environment. The choice of a cedar, "one / of the fragrances of our place," emphasizes the connection to the natural world and to the local landscape, grounding the holiday tradition in the physical and communal context of their lives.

The decorations on the tree—painted cones and paper stars—are modest, handcrafted, and imbued with personal and historical significance ("folded / long ago to praise our tree"). These adornments stand in stark contrast to the commercial ornaments that typically festoon Christmas trees, suggesting a value placed on the handmade, the enduring, and the meaningful over the new, the mass-produced, and the ephemeral.

The final line, "Christ come into the world," reveals the spiritual foundation of the family's Christmas celebration. The simplicity of the tree and its decorations reflects a focus on the core message of Christmas—the incarnation of Christ—and the values of humility, reflection, and gratitude that accompany the recognition of this sacred event. By centering their celebration around a tree that eschews commercial decorations in favor of natural beauty and handmade ornaments, Berry and his family underscore the profound, personal significance of the holiday, as opposed to the often overwhelming materialism and display associated with contemporary Christmas observances.

"Our Christmas Tree" is a quiet yet powerful statement on the meaning of Christmas, an invitation to reconsider the ways in which we celebrate and remember the holiday. Wendell Berry offers a vision of Christmas that is deeply rooted in place, tradition, and spiritual reflection, advocating for a celebration that honors authenticity, community, and the transcendent amidst the clamor and distraction of the modern world.

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