Poem: They have Cut Down the Pines by Mary Lisle
The poem expresses the sorrow of losing the pine trees, emphasizing the impact on both nature
and creatures who depended on trees, illustrating the silence and absence left in the wake of
(aftermath) human activity.
Stanza 1:
"They have cut down the pines where they stood;
The wind will miss them —- the rain,
When its silver blind is down,
They have stripped the bark from the wood, (outer covering)
The needly boughs, and the brown
Knobbly nuts trodden into the ground." (lumps/piece)
Stanza 2:
"The kind the friendly trees,
Where all the day small winds sound,
And all day long the sun
Plays hide and seek with shadows
Till the multiplying shadows turn to one
And night is here."
Stanza 3:
"They have cut down the trees and ended now
The gentle colloquy of bough and bough." (conversation)
"They are making a fence by the creek, (water path)
And have cut down the pines for the posts.
Stanza 4:
Wan in the sunlight for ghosts (pale, weak)
The naked trunks lie."
"A bird nested there but it will seek
In vain: they have cut down the pines."
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Rhyme scheme and Paraphrasing
Stanza 1:
"They have cut down the pines where they stood; A
The wind will miss them —--- the rain, B
When its silver blind is down, C
They have stripped the bark from the wood, (outer covering) A
The needly boughs, and the brown C
Knobbly nuts trodden into the ground." (lumps/piece) C
Rhyme scheme: ABCACC
Paraphrase:
The pines that once stood tall have now been cut down. The wind, like the rain, will feel their absence,
especially when it cannot pass through their branches. The bark has been removed from the trees,
and the pine needles and brown nuts have been crushed into the earth.
Stanza 2:
"The kind the friendly trees, A
Where all the day small winds sound, B
And all day long the sun C
Plays hide and seek with shadows D
Till the multiplying shadows turn to one C
And night is here." E
Rhyme scheme: ABCDCE
Paraphrase:
These trees were the kind that welcomed the breeze, where gentle winds could be heard
throughout the day. The sunlight would dance with the shadows, creating a changing
pattern that eventually blends into nightfall as the shadows grow longer.
Stanza 3
"They have cut down the trees and ended now A
The gentle colloquy of bough and bough." (conversation) B
"They are making a fence by the creek, (water path) C
And have cut down the pines for the posts. D
Rhyme scheme: ABCD
Paraphrase:
The trees have been felled, and with that, the quiet conversation between the branches
of the trees has come to an end. The pines have been chopped down to serve as posts
for a fence by the creek.
Stanza 4:
Wan in the sunlight for ghosts (pale, weak) A
The naked trunks lie." B
"A bird nested there but it will seek C
In vain: they have cut down the pines." D
Rhyme scheme: ABCD
Paraphrase:
The bare trunks now stand in the sunlight, looking ghostly, as though they are empty
reminders of what once was. A bird that once made its home in those pines will now
search in vain for a place to rest because the trees have been cut down.
Theme:
The central theme of "They Have Cut Down the Pines" by Mary Lisle is the profound impact of human actions on the natural world,
particularly the loss of nature's beauty and the disruption of the delicate balance between
humans and nature. The poem explores how the cutting down of the pines, which once
provided shelter, life, and a sense of harmony, leads to the absence of these qualities.
It reflects on the silence left behind by the trees, whose presence was once filled with
life, wind, and birdsong. This loss is depicted not only in physical terms
but also in emotional ones, as the poem contemplates how such acts of destruction
affect the broader natural environment, leaving a void (useless) that can never be fully replaced.
Central Idea:
The central idea of the poem revolves around the sorrow of cutting down the pines and
the consequences of this loss for both nature and those who interacted with it.
The poem illustrates the beauty and tranquility the trees provided, how they were
a place of refuge for both animals and humans, and the melancholy that follows when
they are removed for other purposes, such as building a fence. The poem reflects on the
irreversible nature of such actions and the emptiness left in their wake.
In "They Have Cut Down the Pines," Mary Lisle mourns the loss of the pines that once stood tall and vibrant, providing shelter
and beauty to the natural world. The poem captures the quiet sadness of the
wind missing the trees, the sun cannot play with shadows in their absence, and the end of
the gentle interaction between the branches. The pines have been felled to serve as posts for
a fence, leaving behind only bare trunks that seem ghostly in the sunlight. A bird
that once nested in the trees now searches in vain for a place to call home. Thorough this,the poem conveys the lasting effects of human actions on the environment, emphasizing
the irreversible nature of such losses.
Literary devices
"They Have Cut Down the Pines" by Mary Lisle,
Imagery
Imagery is the use of descriptive language that appeals to the senses, allowing the
reader to vividly experience the scene or emotions described.
Example: "The wind will miss them —-- the rain, / When its silver
blind is down" – This evokes a visual and sensory image of rain,
A creating a feeling of emptiness and absence as the pines are gone.
Personification
Personification is the attribution of human qualities to non-human things or abstract concepts.
Example: "The wind will miss them" – The wind is given the human characteristic
of "missing" something, which deepens the sense of loss.
"The naked trunks lie" – The trunks of the trees are described as "naked,"
"gentle colloquy of bough and bough"
Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of closely connected words.
Example: "boughs and the brown”. B is the consonant sound.
Assonance
Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words.
Example: "And all day long the sun / Plays hide and seek with shadows" – The repetition
of the long "a" sound in "day," "plays," and "shadows" creates a rhythmic flow, mimicking
the playful movement of the sun and shadows.
Symbolism
Symbolism is the use of symbols to represent ideas or concepts.
Example: The pines themselves symbolize nature, life, and stability, while their removal
symbolizes human intervention, loss, and the disruption of natural harmony.
Juxtaposition
Juxtaposition is the placing of two elements side by side to highlight their contrasting qualities.
Example: "A bird nested there but it will seek / In vain" – The bird’s search contrasts
with the idea that its home is no longer there, emphasizing the loss of nature's refuge.
Rhyme:
The poem uses rhyme to create a musical quality, contributing to the overall mood of the poem.
Example: "There stood" and "wood," "sound" and "ground" – The use of end rhymes
ties the poem together and enhances the sense of rhythm.
Anaphora
Anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or lines.
Example: "They have cut down the pines..." – This phrase is repeated at the beginning
of multiple stanzas, reinforcing the sense of ongoing loss and emphasizing the central event of the poem.
Enjambment
Enjambment occurs when a line of poetry runs over into the next line without a pause or punctuation.
Example: "And all day long the sun
Plays hide and seek with shadows
Till the multiplying shadows turn to one
And night is here".
The lack of a pause between "shadows" and "till" keeps the momentum going, reflecting
the continuous movement of the sun and shadows throughout the day till night.
Irony
Irony is when there is a contrast between what is expected and what actually happens.
Example: The cutting down of the pines to build a fence is a form of irony. The trees
that once stood strong and provided shelter are now being used for practical purposes,
symbolizing the reduction of something natural and beautiful to mere utility.
Allusion
Allusion is a reference to another text, event, or figure. Though not as direct as some
allusions, the reference to the concept of "ghosts" in the line "Wan in the sunlight for ghosts"
could be interpreted as an allusion to the idea of lost spirits or memories, invoking the
concept of death or absence that is common in literature.
Mood
Mood refers to the emotional atmosphere created by the poem.
Example: The mood of the poem is melancholic and reflective, with a tone of sadness
and loss. The imagery of "naked trunks" and "ghosts" contributes to the somber
(dark & dull) mood, inviting the reader to mourn the loss of the pines.
Metonymy
Metonymy is a figure of speech where something is referred to by the name of something
closely associated with it.
Example: "The wind will miss them as the rain" – The "wind" and "rain" stand for the
elements that once interacted with the trees. This is a metonymic reference to nature as
a whole, which is now incomplete without the trees.
Tone
Tone refers to the poet's attitude toward the subject.
Example: The tone of the poem is sorrowful and contemplative (thoughtful, pensive),
reflecting the grief over the loss of the trees and the disruption of nature's peaceful existence.
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