Summary Of The Black Walnut Tree By Mary Oliver
“The Black Walnut Tree” Analysis
“Two women trying in a difficult time to be wise” describes up the speaker and her mother’s conflicted feelings regarding the future of the tree in their backyard. In “The Black Walnut Tree” by Mary Oliver, the author uses shifts and word choice and imagery to expose the frustrating, but meaningful connection the women have with the family tree. While the tree burdens the women, they must come to terms that the tree represents the importance of family over the opportunity for money. Both women are conflicted over whether or not to rid themselves of a tree in their yard. The women want to get rid of the walnut tree because its destruction possesses the ability to pay off their debt. They could, “sell the black
walnut tree to the lumberman, and pay off the mortgage”. The tree could ease the stress them from their difficulties concerning money. The walnut tree’s roots keep it and the family stationary, but by cutting down the tree, it would not only release the tree from the ground, but it would free the women from their debt. It could also save them from the dangers that the tree possesses. A storm could “churn down its dark boughs, smashing the house”, with the chance of injuring the women and destroying their house. By using smash, the word choice reveals that the tree has great strength and power over themselves and their property. The struggle regarding the tree deals with power and remembrance. They want to cut the tree down because of its age. The older it gets, the more energy required to take care of it. The images of the damage in their home with “roots in the cellar” and the leaves “getting heavier every year”, along with the fact that ”the fruit harder to gather” add to the long list of reasons to rid themselves of the tree. Even the positive side of the tree, the walnuts which they can harvest, gradually became too energy consuming for the women. The women want so badly to get rid of the tree, so why does it still stand in their backyard? Their tone shifts between line 20 and line 21. There is “something brighter than money that moves in our blood”. What flows in their blood is their family’s backstory and all the hard work they have done. Their family does not destroy or cut down, instead they “dig and sow”. Imagery of the father appears “filling the blue fields of fresh and generous Ohio”, reminding the speaker of the true meaning of the tree. They soon realize the severe consequences of chopping the tree.
Both women understand that they would “crawl with shame in the emptiness” made by chopping down the tree. No matter how much they want to get rid of the tree, they will never go through with it because of what it symbolizes..
The tree burdens their family, which frustrates the women, even though they know it is too meaningful and symbolic to dispose of. Because it reminds the family of their father, “the black walnut tree swings through another year”.
“Two women trying in a difficult time to be wise” describes up the speaker and her mother’s conflicted feelings regarding the future of the tree in their backyard. In “The Black Walnut Tree” by Mary Oliver, the author uses shifts and word choice and imagery to expose the frustrating, but meaningful connection the women have with the family tree. While the tree burdens the women, they must come to terms that the tree represents the importance of family over the opportunity for money. Both women are conflicted over whether or not to rid themselves of a tree in their yard. The women want to get rid of the walnut tree because its destruction possesses the ability to pay off their debt. They could, “sell the black
walnut tree to the lumberman, and pay off the mortgage”. The tree could ease the stress them from their difficulties concerning money. The walnut tree’s roots keep it and the family stationary, but by cutting down the tree, it would not only release the tree from the ground, but it would free the women from their debt. It could also save them from the dangers that the tree possesses. A storm could “churn down its dark boughs, smashing the house”, with the chance of injuring the women and destroying their house. By using smash, the word choice reveals that the tree has great strength and power over themselves and their property. The struggle regarding the tree deals with power and remembrance. They want to cut the tree down because of its age. The older it gets, the more energy required to take care of it. The images of the damage in their home with “roots in the cellar” and the leaves “getting heavier every year”, along with the fact that ”the fruit harder to gather” add to the long list of reasons to rid themselves of the tree. Even the positive side of the tree, the walnuts which they can harvest, gradually became too energy consuming for the women. The women want so badly to get rid of the tree, so why does it still stand in their backyard? Their tone shifts between line 20 and line 21. There is “something brighter than money that moves in our blood”. What flows in their blood is their family’s backstory and all the hard work they have done. Their family does not destroy or cut down, instead they “dig and sow”. Imagery of the father appears “filling the blue fields of fresh and generous Ohio”, reminding the speaker of the true meaning of the tree. They soon realize the severe consequences of chopping the tree.
Both women understand that they would “crawl with shame in the emptiness” made by chopping down the tree. No matter how much they want to get rid of the tree, they will never go through with it because of what it symbolizes..
The tree burdens their family, which frustrates the women, even though they know it is too meaningful and symbolic to dispose of. Because it reminds the family of their father, “the black walnut tree swings through another year”.