The Black Walnut Tree

by Mary Oliver

Start Free Trial

Where can i find the actual poem "The Black Walnut Tree" by Mary Oliver?

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

Well, I don't think that it is available on the web; I looked, and had no luck.  I actually have a copy of the poem, because I own the book "New and Selected Poems:  Volume One" by Mary Oliver, and the poem is in there.  This book was published by Beacon Press in Boston, in 1992, on pages 201-202, just so you have the information for a full citation for it. Here are the first few lines (the back-slashes indicate a line break):

"My mother and I debate:/we could sell the black walnut tree/to the lumberman,/and pay off the mortgage."

I hope that helps with your homework a bit; it's a great poem about the powerful memories and familial ties that trees and other great structures built by strong hands can have, and a tribute to respecting the work and cares of those that have gone before us.  I hope that you enjoy it!  I also provided a couple great links to some discussions of Mary Oliver's style and themes, which might help with your homework too.

See eNotes Ad-Free

Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Approved by eNotes Editorial Team