Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

James Ingram Merrill's poem "Christmas Tree" presents a poignant, reflective narrative from the perspective of a Christmas tree, embodying themes of impermanence, acceptance, and the beauty found in fleeting moments. The tree, once a living being in the natural world, is now transformed into a symbol of joy and celebration, yet it is acutely aware of its inevitable fate.

The poem opens with the tree being "Brought down at last / From the cold sighing mountain," where it had lived among others, "fed, looked after, kept still." This imagery immediately sets up a contrast between the tree's past life in the wilderness and its new role within the human world. The tree’s removal from the mountain is a symbolic transition from life in its natural state to becoming a temporary, though cherished, part of human festivity. The tree acknowledges that its new role is finite: "it would be only a matter of weeks," and with a resigned acceptance, it notes, "there was nothing more to do."

Once inside the home, the tree is treated with reverence and care, "Warmly they took me in, made much of me," as it becomes the centerpiece of the Christmas celebration. The line "The point from the start was to keep my spirits up" reveals the tree's awareness of its impending fate, yet it also reflects its willingness to embrace the role it has been given. The tree finds solace in the adornments placed upon it, the "jewels" and "fragrant sables" that transform it into a thing of beauty. These decorations—"Purple and silver chains, eavesdripping tinsel, / Amulets, milagros"—are not just physical objects, but symbols of the tree's transformation and elevation from its natural state into something more transcendent.

As the tree is "wound in jewels" and adorned with various ornaments, it becomes a focal point of the household, reflecting and enhancing the joy of the season. The tree is not merely a passive object; it actively participates in the celebration, sending "colors flashing forth" and even finding pleasure in the music box that plays a "tiny song" it comes to love. The tree's acceptance of its role is further highlighted by its willingness to "assent" to the festive atmosphere, despite knowing what lies ahead.

The poem’s tone shifts as the tree begins to contemplate its inevitable end: "what lay ahead / Was clear: the stripping, the cold street, my chemicals / Plowed back into the Earth for lives to come." The tree acknowledges its fate with a sense of inevitability and grace, recognizing that its disassembly and return to the earth is part of a larger cycle of life. This recognition of the cyclical nature of existence—being taken from the earth, used for a purpose, and then returned to it—imbues the poem with a sense of natural harmony, even as it underscores the transient nature of all things.

The tree reflects on its physical deterioration—"To have grown so thin. / Needles and bone"—but this is not met with bitterness. Instead, there is a quiet dignity in its acceptance. The image of "The little boy's hands meeting / About my spine" suggests a final moment of connection and tenderness, while the mother’s voice, noting the tree is "Holding up wonderfully," adds a layer of poignancy to the scene. The tree's end is approaching, but it is met with "No dread. No bitterness. The end beginning."

The poem concludes with a serene and almost reverent atmosphere: "Today's / Dusk room aglow / For the last time / With candlelight. / Faces love-lit, / Gifts underfoot." This imagery captures the essence of the Christmas celebration—warmth, love, and light—set against the backdrop of the tree’s final moments. The tree, though aware of its impending demise, remains "so poised, so / Receptive," fully present in the beauty of the moment. It finds fulfillment in recalling and praising the joy it has helped to create, suggesting that even in its last hours, the tree remains a vessel of love and light.

"Christmas Tree" is a meditation on the acceptance of life’s impermanence and the beauty that can be found in transitory moments. Merrill uses the tree as a metaphor for the human condition, exploring how we, too, are part of a larger cycle of life and death, and how we find meaning and joy even in the face of our inevitable end. The poem is both a celebration of life’s fleeting beauty and a quiet acknowledgment of the grace with which we can meet our own mortality. Through the tree’s perspective, Merrill invites us to reflect on how we, like the tree, can embrace our roles, however temporary, with dignity and love.

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