The Black Walnut Tree (Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Mary Oliver
- First Published: 1978
- Type of Work: Lyric
- Genres: Poetry, Lyric poetry
- Subjects: Nature, Yards or backyards, Home, Money, Edible plants, Trees, Houses, mansions, or manors, Fruit, Baptism
The Poem
“The Black Walnut Tree,” written in free verse, is a short poem of thirty-five lines. The title immediately draws the reader’s attention toward the natural world and the center of emotional conflict in the poem. Like the large branches of an ancient walnut tree, Oliver’s poem is shrouded in the shadow of her family tree. Using the first person, Oliver makes no distinction between the speaker of the poem and herself; in fact, the poet’s family history is the source for the events described. In this poem, as in much lyric poetry, the speaker addresses the...
[The entire page is 1513 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
See Also
