I’ve been talking about words related to trees in the poetry of Emily Dickinson -- two days ago, woodland words; yesterday, parts of trees -- so what about specific types of trees? What trees did Dickinson write about?
To be honest, I half-expected Chestnut to be at the top of the list – you know, a la “beneath the spreading chestnut tree.” This phrase comes from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “The Village Blacksmith,” HERE (first published in 1840, when Dickinson turned ten), and the poem actually opens with “Under a spreading chestnut tree,” not “beneath.”
Glenn Miller also wrote nursery-rhyme-like lyrics for his song “The Chestnut Tree,” HERE. The song opens with this:
Underneath the spreading chestnut tree
I loved him and he loved me
There I used to sit up on his knee
'Neath the spreading chestnut tree
You can listen to Glenn Miller and his orchestra HERE.
As an aside, the phrase is also used in George Orwell's novel 1984, where the line "Under the spreading chestnut tree, I sold you and you sold me" signifies the Party's manipulation of memory, history, and past relationships. Hmm….I’m veering a bit too near modern-day politics, so let me return to Dickinson and her trees!
I also expected high usage with “Elm,” maybe because I always thought “Elm” was up there as a top street name in the U.S. Well, it is, but not as high up on the list as I would have thought; on this list, HERE, it’s ranked 15th – below Oak, Pine, Maple and Cedar.
Plus, are there any famous “elm” poems written in the 1800s? The best I could come up with is “The Fallen Elm” by John Clare, HERE.
Turns out that “Chestnut” and “Elm” are at the bottom of the list of trees used by Dickinson in her poetry. “Elm” appears in only one poem, and “Chestnut” turns up in two – as does “Fir.” “Oak” and “Pine” both show up in three poems (and just FYI: the word “pine” shows up in five poems; however, in only three does Dickinson use the word to mean pine trees). “Maple” and “hemlock” trees pop up in four poems each.
And which tree tops the list?
** drumroll **
“Cedar” shows up in seven different poems.
By the way, “birch” and “beech” don’t show up in any of Dickinson’s poems.
I’d planned to share one of the poet’s “cedar” poems, and then something caught my eye in one of her “hemlock” poems, “I think the Hemlock likes to stand.” Actually, a few things jumped out at me with this poem. Take a look. Anything (or things) catch your attention? I’ll return to this poem tomorrow to discuss.
Stay tuned!
To be honest, I half-expected Chestnut to be at the top of the list – you know, a la “beneath the spreading chestnut tree.” This phrase comes from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “The Village Blacksmith,” HERE (first published in 1840, when Dickinson turned ten), and the poem actually opens with “Under a spreading chestnut tree,” not “beneath.”
Glenn Miller also wrote nursery-rhyme-like lyrics for his song “The Chestnut Tree,” HERE. The song opens with this:
Underneath the spreading chestnut tree
I loved him and he loved me
There I used to sit up on his knee
'Neath the spreading chestnut tree
You can listen to Glenn Miller and his orchestra HERE.
As an aside, the phrase is also used in George Orwell's novel 1984, where the line "Under the spreading chestnut tree, I sold you and you sold me" signifies the Party's manipulation of memory, history, and past relationships. Hmm….I’m veering a bit too near modern-day politics, so let me return to Dickinson and her trees!
I also expected high usage with “Elm,” maybe because I always thought “Elm” was up there as a top street name in the U.S. Well, it is, but not as high up on the list as I would have thought; on this list, HERE, it’s ranked 15th – below Oak, Pine, Maple and Cedar.
Plus, are there any famous “elm” poems written in the 1800s? The best I could come up with is “The Fallen Elm” by John Clare, HERE.
Turns out that “Chestnut” and “Elm” are at the bottom of the list of trees used by Dickinson in her poetry. “Elm” appears in only one poem, and “Chestnut” turns up in two – as does “Fir.” “Oak” and “Pine” both show up in three poems (and just FYI: the word “pine” shows up in five poems; however, in only three does Dickinson use the word to mean pine trees). “Maple” and “hemlock” trees pop up in four poems each.
And which tree tops the list?
** drumroll **
“Cedar” shows up in seven different poems.
By the way, “birch” and “beech” don’t show up in any of Dickinson’s poems.
I’d planned to share one of the poet’s “cedar” poems, and then something caught my eye in one of her “hemlock” poems, “I think the Hemlock likes to stand.” Actually, a few things jumped out at me with this poem. Take a look. Anything (or things) catch your attention? I’ll return to this poem tomorrow to discuss.
Stay tuned!
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