The Trees - Philip Larkin (28th March 2016)

[Alannah]

The trees are coming into leaf
Like something almost being said;
The recent buds relax and spread,
Their greenness is a kind of grief.

Is it that they are born again
And we grow old? No, they die too,
Their yearly trick of looking new
Is written down in rings of grain.

Yet still the unresting castles thresh
In fullgrown thickness every May.
Last year is dead, they seem to say,
Begin afresh, afresh, afresh.

from The Collected Poems (Faber, 1993), by permission of the publisher, Faber & Faber Ltd. Recording used by permission of Mr. John Weeks. - See more at: http://www.poetryarchive.org/poem/tre...

[Alannah]

When I read this poem, I always remember my sister calling me up while I was in university and asking about her poetry. She was studying for her final exams to get into university and one of the poets she was studying was Philip Larkin. It is through my sister that I became familiar with Larkin's work and I would say that he is one of my favourite poets.

[Leslie]

I love this poem Alannah! It was one of my favorites from his Collected Poems. And so seasonal - here the trees are just beginning to bud :)

[Michael]

I enjoyed this poem. I will have to read some more Larkin.

[Greg]

A great poem Alannah! I do remember this one from Leslie's read as well - I believe there was some debate about the "castles," whether trunks or foilage etc.

Love the second line where the leafing tree is "said", makes me think of the book of Genesis where plants and animals are literally spoke into being. Poetry is all about the power of language. The poem evokes the tree, and the tree almost seems to evoke green life with the same kind of creative power.

I love the tree rings as a record as well, perhaps of past "griefs." I still find it fascinating that the green leaves themselves are a "kind of grief." Even in that springing forth there is grief, so different than what I usually think of in that image. Those unexpected turns and usages give the poem freshness and depth for me, even a bit of mystery.

[[deleted user]]

Lovely poem! So appropriate for the spring weather in Sussex at the moment.

[[deleted user]]

Great choice, Alannah. Larkin is one of my favorite poets as well. :)

[Beth]

Beautiful poem! I think I've seen this posted on a poetry thread in GR before, but I'm not sure if it was this group or another one.

[Gill]

Thanks, Alannah. I enjoyed reading this. I think some of Larkin's poems are excellent,

[Jenny]

Lovely choice Alannah! Larkin has so many different faces a poet I find, I am looking forward to delving into his work some more. For now I'll enjoy the spring that all of a sudden just seemed to have entered Bremen territory for real.

[Diane S ☔]

Love the begin afresh, good advice for Spring, a time for renewal. Lovely poem.