The Heart of the Tree: Figures of Speech and Literary Style [Form, Structure and Rhyme Scheme]
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Figures of speech :
The poem is sprinkled with figures of speech that drive home its message most effectively.
Repetition
The repetition of the first line in all stanzas is very impactful. Though Bunner himself answers the question, it also makes readers pause and ponder. To emphasise the theme of the poem, the poet has also repeated the word 'plants' several times across the poem.
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.
Alliteration
The use of alliteration in this poem is also noteworthy. Observe the first stanza, for example. Such alliterative sounds add to the rhythm and the melody of the poem.
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.
Metaphor
The poet has also used several metaphors in the poem.
He plants the flag of breezes free;
In this line, the leaves of the tree are indirectly compared to a flag blowing in the wind.
The shaft of beauty
towering high;
Here, there is an implied comparison between the majesty of a tree and a shaft or a high column.
Personification
Bunner uses personification when he humanizes a tree and he calls it 'a friend of sun and sky".
He plants a friend of sun and sky
Synecdoche
The poem also has examples of synecdoche, where a part represents a whole. The phrase 'unborn eyes' refers to the future generation, and the phrase 'sap and leaf and wood' refers to a tree.
Literary Style
Form and structure:
The Heart of the Tree is composed of three stanzas of nine lines each. Each stanza begins with the question "What does he plant who plants a tree?" The poet then seeks to provide an answer to this query in the rest of the stanza.
Rhyme scheme
The poem has ababbccaa. consistent rhyme scheme. Each stanza follows the rhyme scheme
What does he plant who plants a tree? a
He plants a friend of sun and sky. b
He plants the flag of breezes free, a
The shaft of beauty, towering high, b
He plants a home to heaven anigh b
For song and mother-croon of bird c
In hushed and happy twilight heard c
The treble of heaven's harmony a
These things he plants who plants a tree.a
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