Question

figure of speech in the poem the heart of the tree

Answer 1

The first stanza

What does he plant who plants a tree?
He plants a friend of sun and sky;
He plants the flag of breezes free;
The shaft of beauty, towering high;
He plants a home to heaven anigh;
For song and mother-croon of bird
In hushed and happy twilight heard—
The treble of heaven’s harmony—
These things he plants who plants a tree.
The poet seems to attribute something more to the act of planting a tree. Does he just plant a tree or something more than that? Does it implicate a triggering event that makes a whole lot of difference? What does s/he do? This repeating line represents something bigger than the poet, the plant or anything else..Maybe happiness itself?

Tree being a friend of Sun and sky, provides shade, survives on sunlight. The comparison is elating, as to why its the flag of breezes. Planted, yes it is, grows to a height of a tower, and stands as the redefinition of beauty.

The branches and the spreading happiness becomes the abode to birds, of which the hushed chirping and sounds are heard during evening twilight. The harmonious existence is heard throughout the time, with a rising pitch.

The last line answers the question initially asked.

What does he plant who plants a tree?
He plants cool shade and tender rain,
And seed and bud of days to be,
And years that fade and flush again;
He plants the forest's heritage;
The harvest of a coming age;
The joy that unborn eyes shall see---
These things he plants who plants a tree.
The question is repeated, for which the poet himself tends to answer it. The tree provides, shade, binds the soil retains the water/moisture. Heritage is something which relates to the growth of greenery all around starting with the tree that has been planted at this juncture. It’s the only line that talks about the future. His children get to see the happiness of seeing the tree grow, provide shade, bloom and add to the natural beauty of his surrounding., which will ultimately provide joy/happiness.

These are the things he gets when he plants the tree.

What does he plant who plants a tree?
He plants, in sap and leaf and wood,
In love of home and loyalty

And far-cast thought of civic good—
His blessings on the neighborhood,
Who in the hollow of His hand
Holds all the growth of all our land—
A nation’s growth from sea to sea
Stirs in his heart who plants a tree.
In the love of home, his abode, a plant that grows into a tree, symbol of loyalty, token of love that has been bestowed upon it, when he planted the tree, all comes down to something that reflects the civic responsibility and deed, that ends up accentuating the aesthetics of the neighborhood. The blessings and good intentions that he wishes upon the same.

When a tree is planted, it sets in motion the improvement of a nation from sea to sea. Exponential growth can be seen, all because of one kind and civic duty followed by him who plants a tree.

Until I come across such a beautiful poem again..

Cheers..!

PS : Pardon me if anything I said does not meet your expectations. It was a humble attempt. Thank you.

Answer 2

figure of speech in the poem the heart of the tree