The Almond Trees
Blank Verse52 total reviews
Comment from zanya
A poem in blank verse exuding love and appreciation for a gift from Nature's bounty 'The Almond Trees'- verses that awaken the senses with color and sound - ending with a beautiful line appropriate in our increasingly neurotic culture of usefulness'lovely uselessness'
reply by the author on 10-Aug-2015
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A poem in blank verse exuding love and appreciation for a gift from Nature's bounty 'The Almond Trees'- verses that awaken the senses with color and sound - ending with a beautiful line appropriate in our increasingly neurotic culture of usefulness'lovely uselessness'
Comment Written 09-Aug-2015
reply by the author on 10-Aug-2015
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Many thanks, Zanya. I appreciate your review and kind words. So glad you enjoyed my poem. Thanks, too, for the generous star rating. Best wishes, Tony
Comment from Giddy Nielsen-Sweep
There should be no issue here, Tony. Your story flowed tranquilly through the life of the trees and I feel a great empathy with them. I enjoyed the poem for its storytelling and your unique phrasing. So pleased you didn't cut those trees down! Giddy
reply by the author on 10-Aug-2015
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There should be no issue here, Tony. Your story flowed tranquilly through the life of the trees and I feel a great empathy with them. I enjoyed the poem for its storytelling and your unique phrasing. So pleased you didn't cut those trees down! Giddy
Comment Written 09-Aug-2015
reply by the author on 10-Aug-2015
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Many thanks, Giddy. I appreciate your review and kind words. So glad you enjoyed my poem. Tree huggers unite! Best wishes, Tony
Comment from watergirl
I love your poem so well crafted about the almonds trees. I am an animal lover and it reminds me of the older animals I have here who are "useless" but live out their days in dignity and hopefully comfort. Such a human label "useless" to us -
except for the very beauty they give and the reminder that nature is indeed strong and bountiful. The structure of the poem just makes it a work or art, and it reads delightfully. Great. !!
reply by the author on 10-Aug-2015
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I love your poem so well crafted about the almonds trees. I am an animal lover and it reminds me of the older animals I have here who are "useless" but live out their days in dignity and hopefully comfort. Such a human label "useless" to us -
except for the very beauty they give and the reminder that nature is indeed strong and bountiful. The structure of the poem just makes it a work or art, and it reads delightfully. Great. !!
Comment Written 09-Aug-2015
reply by the author on 10-Aug-2015
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Many thanks, Watergirl. I appreciate your review and kind words. So glad you enjoyed my poem.. Best wishes, Tony
Comment from N.K. Wagner
An excellent ode to these venerable almond trees, who have found purpose beyond their nuts. I believe occasional internal rhyme is allowed in free verse. Certainly Shakespeare used it. Well done. :) Nancy
reply by the author on 09-Aug-2015
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An excellent ode to these venerable almond trees, who have found purpose beyond their nuts. I believe occasional internal rhyme is allowed in free verse. Certainly Shakespeare used it. Well done. :) Nancy
Comment Written 09-Aug-2015
reply by the author on 09-Aug-2015
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Many thanks, Nancy. I appreciate your review. Best wishes, Tony
Comment from AvL
Here we go again: more heartbreakingly beautiful, and masterfully-constructed, poetry from our friend tfawcus. His subject-matter this time are nine -- nine, like the Muses of old? -- almond-trees who -- yes, who, not which -- have inspired him, like the nine sisters of Greek mythology. His bucolic, "Eclogical" vision (apologies to Virgil) opens appropriately enough with images of personification: the trees have "arthritic arms" that "bend painfully," like old human limbs. He closes stanza one with contrasting images: the natural almond-trees versus the "iron claws (that) take indecent grip" -- an image of rape -- i.e., the mechanized and soul-less harvesting of modern agri-business. Though I have omitted much, the stage has been set.
In stanza two, the poet, who nearly had cut down the trees ten years earlier, sees them in a new, and subtlely sexual, light: The first blooms that had appeared as "vanities of age," have become " ... the promise of lush fruit,/the nubile peach and pear and cherry lips," all of which delicious foods have clear connotations of sexual ripeness/fecundity, and of sensuality. In the Spring, the nine will cope their gifts "in green, a cloak to hide their bitterness."
Stanza three gives us " ... broken limbs (as) scratching post for kine:" not for cows, nor for cattle, but for kine: we are in the classical, Homeric -- pre-Homeric, perhaps? Are Bion and Theocritus on hand? -- realm, where "oozing sweet abundance tempts a pair/of yellow honey eaters ..." And this oozing sweet abundance is stored in a cleft: yet more images of sex, and of ripeness.
I could write more -- there is much more on which to write -- but I shall close this review with a nod to one more astounding image of personification: the "almond eyes" -- what a beautifully subtle pun! -- of the watchful, Argus-like almond-trees, with whom our poet clearly identifies himself. Thank you, tfawcus, for one more lovely stroll through the rich landscape of your imagination.
reply by the author on 10-Aug-2015
 |
Here we go again: more heartbreakingly beautiful, and masterfully-constructed, poetry from our friend tfawcus. His subject-matter this time are nine -- nine, like the Muses of old? -- almond-trees who -- yes, who, not which -- have inspired him, like the nine sisters of Greek mythology. His bucolic, "Eclogical" vision (apologies to Virgil) opens appropriately enough with images of personification: the trees have "arthritic arms" that "bend painfully," like old human limbs. He closes stanza one with contrasting images: the natural almond-trees versus the "iron claws (that) take indecent grip" -- an image of rape -- i.e., the mechanized and soul-less harvesting of modern agri-business. Though I have omitted much, the stage has been set.
In stanza two, the poet, who nearly had cut down the trees ten years earlier, sees them in a new, and subtlely sexual, light: The first blooms that had appeared as "vanities of age," have become " ... the promise of lush fruit,/the nubile peach and pear and cherry lips," all of which delicious foods have clear connotations of sexual ripeness/fecundity, and of sensuality. In the Spring, the nine will cope their gifts "in green, a cloak to hide their bitterness."
Stanza three gives us " ... broken limbs (as) scratching post for kine:" not for cows, nor for cattle, but for kine: we are in the classical, Homeric -- pre-Homeric, perhaps? Are Bion and Theocritus on hand? -- realm, where "oozing sweet abundance tempts a pair/of yellow honey eaters ..." And this oozing sweet abundance is stored in a cleft: yet more images of sex, and of ripeness.
I could write more -- there is much more on which to write -- but I shall close this review with a nod to one more astounding image of personification: the "almond eyes" -- what a beautifully subtle pun! -- of the watchful, Argus-like almond-trees, with whom our poet clearly identifies himself. Thank you, tfawcus, for one more lovely stroll through the rich landscape of your imagination.
Comment Written 09-Aug-2015
reply by the author on 10-Aug-2015
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Many thanks, Haiku-guy, for another most complimentary six-star review. I shall have to wTch out for those subliminal messages! Best wishes, Tony.
Comment from Rubylou
Beautiful flow from beginning to end. It was almost like I could feel a breeze swaying me. Wonderfully descriptive.
I am glad the trees were not cut down. Just by standing back and observing that they are, " lovely," justifies that they are not, "useless." In fact because of their beauty and age, it seems to me they are a marvel as the almond trees are determined to survive.
Astounding poem.
Rubylou
reply by the author on 10-Aug-2015
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Beautiful flow from beginning to end. It was almost like I could feel a breeze swaying me. Wonderfully descriptive.
I am glad the trees were not cut down. Just by standing back and observing that they are, " lovely," justifies that they are not, "useless." In fact because of their beauty and age, it seems to me they are a marvel as the almond trees are determined to survive.
Astounding poem.
Rubylou
Comment Written 09-Aug-2015
reply by the author on 10-Aug-2015
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Many thanks, Rubylou. I appreciate your review and kind words. So glad you enjoyed my poem. Thanks, too, for the generous star rating. Best wishes, Tony
Comment from Janet Foor
This is a beautiful poem Tony. While I have never seen an almond tree, you have painted a vivid picture with your well chosen words. Ex: extend arthritic arms towards the dawn.
Very nicely done.
Blessings
Janet
reply by the author on 09-Aug-2015
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This is a beautiful poem Tony. While I have never seen an almond tree, you have painted a vivid picture with your well chosen words. Ex: extend arthritic arms towards the dawn.
Very nicely done.
Blessings
Janet
Comment Written 09-Aug-2015
reply by the author on 09-Aug-2015
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Many thanks, Janet. I appreciate your review. Best wishes, Tony
Comment from sibhus
What a beauty poem. It's nice that you decide to save these majestic trees. They may seem to useless to the human mind, but the provide a wealth of support to nature as in being home to the bees. To often we forget about that. Again, a wonderful poem.
reply by the author on 09-Aug-2015
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What a beauty poem. It's nice that you decide to save these majestic trees. They may seem to useless to the human mind, but the provide a wealth of support to nature as in being home to the bees. To often we forget about that. Again, a wonderful poem.
Comment Written 09-Aug-2015
reply by the author on 09-Aug-2015
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Many thanks, Sibhus . I appreciate your review. Bees are important. Best wishes, Tony
Comment from Pantygynt
This is a beautiful word picture of part of your property. It's easy to see from this why you emigrated.
For me the blank verse worked a treat. This isn't a competition entry so I wouldn't worry to much about rhyme creeping in here and there. Rhyme features occasionally in poetry from Chaucer's day onwards. Shakespeare sprinkles his plays with it frequently ending a scene on a rhyming couplet. Rhyme is not of course a feature of blank verse but I think perhaps it is only in this modern age and possibly only on FS that attempts are made deliberately to expunge any hint of it in blank verse.
While I like the whole poem greatly, the following two sentences are an excellent example of how you involve not only the trees that form the subject of the poem but the peripheral activities that go along around them:
"Their broken limbs a scratching post for kine,
reveal a cleft, for native bees a home,
whose oozing sweet abundance tempts a pair
of yellow honey eaters to enjoy
an amber feast warmed by the winter sun.
They also have their place upon the hill
to cheer the hearts of lovers down below,
who honeymoon in winter by the fire,
and kindle caves of passion in its flames.
I these few lines you have managed to involve the cattle (kine), bees, the birds that come to steal the honey just like the humans, brought into the scene with that lovely play on words at this point - honeymoon.
This really is a superbly well crafted poem and once again I have to dish out a Monday six fix for you.
reply by the author on 10-Aug-2015
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This is a beautiful word picture of part of your property. It's easy to see from this why you emigrated.
For me the blank verse worked a treat. This isn't a competition entry so I wouldn't worry to much about rhyme creeping in here and there. Rhyme features occasionally in poetry from Chaucer's day onwards. Shakespeare sprinkles his plays with it frequently ending a scene on a rhyming couplet. Rhyme is not of course a feature of blank verse but I think perhaps it is only in this modern age and possibly only on FS that attempts are made deliberately to expunge any hint of it in blank verse.
While I like the whole poem greatly, the following two sentences are an excellent example of how you involve not only the trees that form the subject of the poem but the peripheral activities that go along around them:
"Their broken limbs a scratching post for kine,
reveal a cleft, for native bees a home,
whose oozing sweet abundance tempts a pair
of yellow honey eaters to enjoy
an amber feast warmed by the winter sun.
They also have their place upon the hill
to cheer the hearts of lovers down below,
who honeymoon in winter by the fire,
and kindle caves of passion in its flames.
I these few lines you have managed to involve the cattle (kine), bees, the birds that come to steal the honey just like the humans, brought into the scene with that lovely play on words at this point - honeymoon.
This really is a superbly well crafted poem and once again I have to dish out a Monday six fix for you.
Comment Written 09-Aug-2015
reply by the author on 10-Aug-2015
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Many thanks, Jim. I appreciate your review and kind words. So glad you enjoyed this poem and thought highly of it. Thanks, too, for the generous star rating. Best wishes, Tony
Comment from Dean Kuch
I must admit, I have never seen an almond tree before, Tony. However, your description of arthritic arms helped me to envision what they might look like very clearly in my mind. This blank verse seems flawless to my untrained eye, but I do know enough to know what I like, what moves me, and what reads smoothly. This certainly encapsulates all of the above.
Thank you very much for sharing it with us all.
All my best, ~Dean
reply by the author on 09-Aug-2015
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I must admit, I have never seen an almond tree before, Tony. However, your description of arthritic arms helped me to envision what they might look like very clearly in my mind. This blank verse seems flawless to my untrained eye, but I do know enough to know what I like, what moves me, and what reads smoothly. This certainly encapsulates all of the above.
Thank you very much for sharing it with us all.
All my best, ~Dean
Comment Written 09-Aug-2015
reply by the author on 09-Aug-2015
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Many thanks, Dean. I appreciate your review. Best wishes, Tony
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Sure, Tony. It was my pleasure as always.
~Dean
