Poetry In A Pot Of Tea: WW1

Monday, November 12, 2012

As Lovely As A Tree~

photo from frostmagazine

Veteran's Day brings thoughts of my Dad and father-in-law and their military service to our country. They served honorably and with pride. Both shared stories of their time aboard ships: my Dad was a cook in the Navy, and my father-in-law visited tiny islands in the Pacific on a PT boat. They returned with a deepened love and respect for America. God bless all our servicemen and women for their sacrifice, as well as the sacrifice of their families. Thinking about veterans, I Googled information about Joyce Kilmer, who wrote one of the most famous and familiar poems about trees.

Joyce Kilmer (December 1886 – July 1918) was an American writer and poet mainly remembered for a short poem titled "Trees", which was published in the collection Trees and Other Poems in 1914. Though a prolific poet whose works celebrated the common beauty of the natural world as well as his Catholic religious faith, Kilmer was also a journalist, literary critic, lecturer, and editor. Several critics suggested that his style was too traditional. However, at the time of his deployment to Europe during World War I, Kilmer was considered the leading American Roman Catholic poet and lecturer of his generation. He enlisted in the New York National Guard and was deployed to France with the 69th Infantry Regiment (the famous "Fighting 69th") in 1917. He was killed at the Second Battle of the Marne in 1918 at the age of 31, leaving a wife and children.

Joyce was not fortunate enough to return home from battle, but left this simple poem for us to enjoy and remember him by~

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed

Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

I would love to have a teacup and saucer with a tree on it like this one from Royal Albert. Isn't it pretty? It is called Greenwood.

I love the green trim and handle! The scene the cup depicts is so serene and lovely. I can imagine Mr. Kilmer gazing out his window and seeing a tree like this, while jotting down his famous lines.