Does any particular image run throughout the essay? If so, why does the author chose it? Does it have any "metaphorical significance"? Does it transform in any way from the beginning to the end of the essay?
The image that runs throughout the entirety of the poem is the image of a tree. Merwin starts off giving you the idea that today is the last day of the world and that the only thing he would do is plant a tree. This puts the image of a tree in my mind. He says that it would not be for fruit but a tree that has never stood on the earth before. From this I excluded the thought of a fruit bearing tree and pictured a tree similar to an oak or maple. Merwin is able to use little words to paint a picture in you mind; especially at the end when he say that the clouds are passing over each leaf one by one. I think there is some metaphorical significance to this piece because he says that the world is coming to an end but yet he wants to plant something new as if it will still stand after everything is destroyed. When I first read this, I didn't think of how I could write a response to it but looking deeper I saw that our world may not be dying tomorrow but it is coming and maybe if we plant something new, things could get better or even though the world is dead, this tree represents new life.
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wow this is a great response. The way that you looked into the poem at the deeper meaning behind the very few words presented is incredible. I agree with you that this one tree and this one form of life is being made into a way to rise from the ashes of a dead world. Merwin used the two line stanzas effectively to capture this idea of being able to start over as long as there is at least one thing capable of living. Great job!
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