All afternoon my brothers and I have worked in the orchard,
Digging this hole, laying you into it, carefully packing the soil.
Rain blackened the horizon, but cold winds kept it over the Pacific,
And the sky above us stayed the dull gray
Of an old year coming to an end.
In Sicily a father plants a tree to celebrate his first son's birth -
An olive or a fig tree - a sign that the earth has one more life to bear.
I would have done the same, proudly laying new stock into my father's orchard,
A green sapling rising among the twisted apple boughs,
A promise of new fruit in other autumns.
But today we kneel in the cold planting you, our native giant,
Defying the practical custom of our fathers,
Wrapping in your roots a lock of hair, a piece of an infant's birth cord,
All that remains above earth of a first-born son,
A few stray atoms brought back to the elements.
We will give you what we can--our labor and our soil,
Water drawn from the earth when the skies fail,
Nights scented with the ocean fog, days softened by the circuit of bees.
We plant you in the corner of the grove, bathed in western light,
A slender shoot against the sunset.
And when our family is no more, all of his unborn brothers dead,
Every niece and nephew scattered, the house torn down,
His mother's beauty
ashes in the air,
I want you to stand among strangers, all young and ephemeral to you,
Silently keeping the secret of your birth.
Can any one help to analysis it.
If you follow the directions given on these webpages, you should be able to analyze the poem just fine:
http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/poetry-explication.html
http://www.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/markport/best/study/poetry.htm
Keep in mind that no one here will do your work for you, but we'll be happy to critique your thinking if you post your analysis once you've re-read and thought and taken notes and written up your paper.
The passage you provided is a poem titled "Planting a Sequoia" by Dana Gioia. It tells the story of a family planting a tree, a sequoia, in memory of their first-born son who has passed away. The poem explores themes of life, death, and the enduring nature of nature itself.
To fully understand the poem and its meaning, it's important to analyze its various elements, such as its structure, language, and imagery. Let's break it down:
1. Structure: "Planting a Sequoia" is written in free verse, meaning it does not adhere to a specific rhyme scheme or meter. The poem consists of three stanzas, varying in length, which allows for a natural flow of emotions and thoughts.
2. Language: Gioia uses descriptive and evocative language throughout the poem. For example, he describes the sky as "the dull gray / Of an old year coming to an end" and later mentions "Nights scented with the ocean fog, days softened by the circuit of bees." These vivid descriptions create visual and sensory imagery, enhancing the overall emotional impact of the poem.
3. Imagery: The poem uses metaphorical and symbolic imagery to convey its messages. The planting of the sequoia tree symbolizes the cycle of life and the continuity of nature. The father in Sicily planting a tree to celebrate his first son's birth represents the hopes and dreams of future generations. By planting the sequoia in memory of their deceased son, the family is keeping his memory alive through nature's everlasting presence.
4. Themes: The poem explores themes of life, death, and the enduring nature of the natural world. It touches upon the enduring legacy of family and how the presence of a tree can carry on the memory of loved ones long after they are gone.
To fully appreciate the poem, it may also be helpful to research the background of Dana Gioia, the poet, and his personal experiences or motivations in writing this piece. Poetry often carries personal or emotional significance for the poet, which can provide further insight into the poem's meaning.
Overall, "Planting a Sequoia" is a poignant and reflective poem that uses vivid imagery, evocative language, and symbolism to explore themes of life, death, and the enduring power of nature.