IN WHAT WAY DOES THE
of the present day. Although the sky is ‘among the shufflings/of the distant/cloud-rifts’, there are delicate connections between trees, the atmosphere and, consequently, weather patterns and temperatures. The personal sense that this unremarkable, ‘already-writtenof ’ tree, can help the sky be so blue, ‘vaporously’ or effortlessly is particularly powerful. The final simplicity of describing ‘the unmoving/blue’, reminds us how much trees impact the nature of our planet’s atmosphere.
DEPICION OF TREES IN IMAGIST POEMS HELP US TO FACE CLIMATE ISSUES TODAY?
H.D.’s passion in Sheltered Garden suggests the possible consequences of human interference with nature. The desperation of ‘I have had enough’ resonates with today’s climate emergency. H.D. compares the garden’s ‘border on border of scented pinks’ with the ‘wind-tortured place’ that feels alive and naturally beautiful and draws a parallel theme of ‘beauty without strength’ between the softness of the garden and the urbanisation of our planet which has caused serious environmental issues. One can be reminded of the magic created by the ‘sharp swish of a branch’ or ‘taste of bark’, the wonder of wild trees. The possible consequences of climate change are outlined with ‘half-trees, torn, twisted/but showing the fight was valiant’, encapsulating today’s desperation to save our planet and the power of what we face. H.D. laments ‘O to blot out this garden/to forget’, mirroring the hope that we could reverse the damage, though it is possible that we have passed too many tipping points.
Lizzie Caird (OHS) With the possibility of global temperature increases of up to 4.5°C, our planet is faced with a series of existential climate issues. To understand the significance of trees in our landscapes, the snapshots created by imagist poets, including H.D. (1886-1961) and William Carlos Williams (1883-1963), explore trees from a variety of aspects, conveying the prominence of these incredible plants on Earth. H.D’s Oread is a metaphorical juxtaposition of the complex landscapes of ocean and forest that rely on each other to function. The alliteration of ‘pointed pines’ emphasises the importance of trees in supporting oceans. ‘Pools of fir’ remind us that trees can prevent rising sea levels, whilst the strength of ‘whirl’ and ‘hurl’ displays the protective power of nature. Today, Indonesia’s Demak District illustrates ‘your great pines on our rocks’ as mangrove forests have been introduced along 20km of coast to reverse 6km of submerged coastline. H.D conveys the relationship between trees and ocean providing a contemporary solution to one of the most impending climate issues. Oread is a passionate plea to ‘hurl your green over us’, thus H.D. beseeches trees to cover the world like the sea. H.D.’s longing for reforestation inspires us at a time when we are losing 8 million hectares of our precious forests every year.
Thus, the detailed description of trees in these imagist poems highlights the importance of trees, reflecting the solutions to climate change and helping us to face the current issues with hope and a wider understanding. Bibliography ∙Williams, W.C. (1933). Poetry Magazine, Volume XLIII, Number I (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/ poetrymagazine/browse?contentId=20221) ∙Doolittle, H. (1916). Sea Garden. London: Constable ∙Doolittle, H (1914). BLAST Magazine ∙Royal Geographical Society, Geographical Magazine May 2020 ∙greatgreenwall.org [online] Available from: https:// www.greatgreenwall.org/about-great-green-wall [Accessed on 4 September 2020] ∙poetryfoundation.org [online] Available from: https:// www.poetryfoundation.org/ [Accessed on 4 September 2020]
William Carlos William’s Tree and Sky points us to the urgent need for carbon sinks to stabilise CO2 levels in Earth’s atmosphere. Although Williams’ ‘tree stands alone’, the Great Green Wall project in Africa’s Sahel region magnifies this concept in aiming to plant 11 million trees to prevent desertification, by reducing soil erosion through interception, and acting as an 8,000km long carbon sink. His tree is ‘half-broken’, emphasising the vulnerability of trees, mirrored with the threats
Image Sources [1] Pictorial Press Ltd./Alamy Stock Photo on Poetry Foundation [2] Royal Geographical Society, Geographical Magazine May 2020 [3] Great Green Wall 35
