Kathryn Suarez
English 102, Introduction to Literature
Fall 1996

"Tree at my Window" was written by Robert Frost, an America poet who was born in 1874 and died in 1963 (DiYanni 624). His poem will be the basis of the discussion of this brief essay.

The narrator in this poem appears to be speaking to the "tree at my window"; then, repeating the phrase in reverse order, he calls it the "window tree," as if to emphasize the location and nearness of the tree. Calling the tree a "window tree," might also suggest that this tree is something he sees through, perhaps to some higher truth, to something beyond the mere physical presence of the tree.

As night approaches, the "sash" or movable portion of the window is lowered, perhaps to prevent the air, cooled from lack of the sun's warmth, from entering the house (Webster 1026). The narrator continues, "But let there never be curtain drawn / Between you and me." Literally, this statement could imply that he does not want a drape to cover the window betwen them. A sense of foreboding arises if one looks at additional definitions. "Curtain" can refer to death and "drawn" can refer to being brought about by inducement or being allured (Webster 280, 346).

The narrator begins the second stanza mentioning a dream that is unclear. He then stops short and continues, seemingly describing the appearance of the tree. Referring to "head lifted out of the ground, / Not all your light tonuges taliking aloud / could be profound." Perhaps the speaker could be describing the vastness of the tree's height and width along with the magnitude of leaves. Comparing tongues to leaves is a possibility because, as the wind rushes through them, it causes a distinct sound. The speaker may even believe that the tree has insight to his feelings (Webster 919).

In stanza three, the speaker appears to reply, "But, tree, I have seen you taken and tossed," suggesting the literal movement of the tree's branches during a severe storm or describing his own inner turmoil (Webster 1233). Continuing his statement with "And if you have seen me when I slept, / You have seen me when I was taken and swept / And all but lost." The narrator may be referring to actual sleeping patterns in which people sleep so soundly that they are unaware of things happening around them. "Lost" may also be defined as being helpless or having a lack of self confidence (Webster 681). There is a nightmarish quality to these lines, also.

In the fourth and final stanza, the poet begins to talk of the "day she put our heads together / Fate had her imagination about her, / Your head so much concerned with outer, / Mine with inner, weather." Until this point no differentiation has been made regarding gender; however, in this stanza, femal pronouns are mentioned three times. Interesetingly, according to Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary," "fate," in classical methology, was represented by three goddesses who determined the course a human's life would take (417). The narrator observes that the tree seems to be more interested in the forces of "Mother Nature" and the elements upon its bark and leaves compared to himself. The narrator seems to be preoccupied with what occurs within, perhaps in his mind, soul, or spirt. The narrator ends with the word "weather," which could represent the literal sunshine, rain, etc. However, he could also be referring to the "state of life or fortune" (Webster 1327).

"Tree at my Window" has four stanzas, each having four lines. The first three lines of each stanza are of similar length. The fourth lines of each stanza is shorter than the rest by several words. Throughout the poem, there is an end-line, almost-rhyme, or half-rhyme with lines one and four, and lines two and three coinciding. There is a certain rhythm to the poem, but it does not seem to flow smoothly throughout because there seems to be a break in stanza two, line one. After this break, the rhytm seems to pick up again.

In the poem's first line, the words "tree" and "window" are repeated but in reverse order, drawing our attention to them. There are several other contrasts within the stanzas. In stanza two, the speaker mentions "ground" and later mentions a cloud. In stanza four, the speaker compares "outer" and "inner" lives.

"Tree at my Window" contains descriptions and comparisons that almost bring an image to one's mind. Perhaps I have been able to relate to this poem because I have often looked out of the window at the trees and mountains in the distance and contemplated some dilemma. Perhaps we could all learn from nature not to be so anxious about things that in the long run run do not really even matter.

Works Cited