I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do. ~Willa Cather, 1913
Us sing and dance, make faces and give flower bouquets, trying to be loved. You ever notice that trees do everything to git attention we do, except walk? ~Alice Walker, The Color Purple, 1982
Why are there trees I never walk under
But large and melodious thoughts descend upon me?
~Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, 1892
Anthropomorphized trees seem to come up frequently in literature and in discussions of nature, as seen in the quotations above. Trees are ancient, majestic, inspiring, and even ancestral in a way. According to these writers, they are full of history, stories, and even a touch of an oh-so-human desire to be noticed. In short, it seems that trees attract our attention and appear in our creations because they remind us of ourselves, only stronger, more magnificent, and more lasting.
I hope I haven't bored you to death today or gone off the deep end. I just thought I'd try something different for today.
4 comments:
My favorite tree is the Japanese Magnolia. Blooms for such a shirt time but is so lovely.
i love trees as a symbol and a real live thing! :) trees provide protection, food, beauty, clean air, fun times, and can be made into pretty much anything. they're absolutely necessary for life. one of my tattoo ideas involves a tree. i'm still working on the design, but i'm really excited about it.
Is this the type of entrv one would make in a book of days? You do this so well that a collection of similar essays would make a lovely book.
Pull out the old book of days I gave you a few years ago for an example.
Post a Comment