Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Planting Trees" by Wendell Berry is a deeply moving meditation on the act of planting trees as a gesture of renewal, continuity, and communion with the natural world and its cycles. Through this simple yet profound activity, Berry connects with the ancient past, contributes to the future, and finds peace and purpose in the present. The poem eloquently explores themes of legacy, stewardship, and the interconnectedness of all life, offering a vision of hope and restoration.

Berry begins by evoking the natural process of tree reproduction as a mysterious and invisible dance between the pollen grain and the winds, a reminder of the ancient forests that once covered the land. This imagery of the "ghost of the old forest" suggests a deep reverence for the land's history and an acknowledgment of the layers of life that have preceded human habitation.

The speaker positions himself as both a witness to and a participant in this ongoing story of the land, taking up the task of planting twenty young trees. These trees, "smaller than weeds," symbolize potential and resilience, embodying the promise of growth and renewal. By planting them, the speaker acts as a steward of the land, seeking to restore the "original music" of the ground—a metaphor for the natural harmony and beauty that reforestation can bring to a landscape.

Berry's vision of the trees rising "over the horizon of men's heads" speaks to the transformative power of planting trees, envisioning a future in which the natural world regains its prominence and vitality, overshadowing the transient concerns and constructions of humanity. This future, in which the trees become both "horizon and orison" (a prayer), reflects Berry's hope that the natural world will be recognized and revered as a source of wisdom, inspiration, and solace.

The poem also contemplates the personal significance of planting trees for the speaker. The act becomes a "dream to dream" of, a source of gentle solace that soothes the speaker's nights. There is a recognition of mortality and the desire to leave behind a living legacy that will continue to flourish long after the speaker is gone. The wish for the trees to live well, to shine in the sunlight, cast shadows on the ground, and whisper with the wind, is a poignant expression of love for the world and a hope for its continued flourishing.

"Planting Trees" ultimately serves as a testament to the power of individual actions to contribute to the healing and enrichment of the earth. Wendell Berry offers a contemplative reflection on the act of planting as a form of communion with the past, a contribution to the future, and a source of deep fulfillment in the present. The poem is an eloquent reminder of our responsibility to care for the planet and a call to find joy and meaning in the stewardship of the natural world.

POEM TEXT:

In the mating of trees,

the pollen grain entering invisible

the domed room of the winds, survives

the ghost of the old forest

that was here when we came. The ground

invites it, and it will not be gone.

I become the familiar of that ghost

and its ally, carrying in a bucket

twenty trees smaller than weeds,

and I plant them along the way

of the departure of the ancient host.

I return to the ground its original music.

It will rise out of the horizon

of the grass, and over the heads

of weeds, and it will rise over

the horizon of men’s heads. As I age

in the world it will rise and spread,

and be for this place horizon

and orison, the voice of its winds.

I have made myself a dream to dream

of its rising, that has gentled my nights.

Let me desire and wish well the life

these trees may live when I

no longer rise in the mornings

to be pleased by the green of them

shining, and their shadows on the ground,

and the sound of the wind in them.

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