Loveliest+of+Trees

Loveliest of Trees  A.E. Housman

Loveliest of trees, the cherry now Is hung with bloom along the bough, And stands about the woodland ride Wearing white for Eastertide. Now, all of my threescore years and ten, Twenty will not come again, And take from seventy springs a score, It only leaves me fifty more. And since to look at things in bloom Fifty Springs are little room, About the woodlands I will go To see the cherry hung with snow.

__ Biography of A.E. Housman __ Born: March 26, 1859 in Worcestershire, England Attended Oxford University in 1877 In love with his best friend, Moses Jackson Published two volumes of Poetry: Overall was secluded and avoided the public Died: April 30, 1936 at the age of 77 in Cambridge, England
 * Failed all of his exams, but passed the final year
 * Studied Greek and Roman Classic
 * Moved to India
 * Main component/lover in Housman's poems
 * A Shropshire Lad (1896)- 63 poems
 * Last Poems (1922)

__ Elements of TIME Analysis __ Two themes are present are in poem. The first is revolves around Carpe Diem, and making sure you live your life to the fullest because time is short. The second theme is the author emphasizing the beauty and grace of winter, in comparison to spring.
 * Theme: **

__Personification-__ “Wearing white for Eastertide.” Demonstrating how the cherry tree is glistening with snow while Spring is around the corner. __Allusion-__ “Now, all of my threescore years and ten.” Psalms 90:10 “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” Using this quote means that the average lifespan is seventy years old, so the speaker is emphasizing how short life is, so live in the moment! __Diction-__ “It only leaves me fifty more.” “Fifty springs are little room.” The word “only” signifies how life is short and the speaker only has fifty more winters to gaze at, as he is twenty years old currently. Carpe Diem! __Alliteration-__ “And take from seventy springs a score” The use of alliteration places emphasis on the speaker only having seventy springs left, so he must enjoy life and take in the beauty of the world before he perishes. __Extended Metaphor-__ “Loveliest of trees, the cherry now” Overall, the cherry tree represents the finer things in life, and the speakers endless life of beauty. The cherry tree represents taking risks, putting aside time to enjoy the little things in life, and seizing the moment because in life is short and not to be wasted.
 * Imagery: **

The structure of the poem has 3 stanzas, with each stanza consisting of 4 lines. The rhyme scheme is AABB, CCDD, EEFF, as the first/second lines and third/fourth lines in a stanza each rhyme together. The speaker of the poem is the author, A. E. Housman.
 * Meter: **

__Stanza 1-__ The speaker is filled with awe and contentment as he happily observes the beauty of the cherry tree, specially with Easter approaching. __Stanza 2-__ In the second stanza, the speaker begins to become frantic and restless as he realizes he will only witness fifty more winters in his life, if he lives until seventy years old. The dread and anguish is slowly seeping into the speaker's mind, “twenty will not come again”, as he realizes life is quickly passing. __Stanza 3-__ The tone and emotion of the poem comes in a full circle, as the speaker comes to terms that time is short, but he should make the most of every moment, and be awed by the beauty of wintertime. The speaker returns to his feelings of bewilderment and awe towards the beauty of nature.
 * Emotion: **

__ Extra Credit __ media type="youtube" key="t0VVtQqSzoo" width="420" height="315"

__ Works Cited __ “Poet, A.E. Housman.” Poets. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 4 Mar. 2015. . Samad, Jewel. A woman walks past a cherry tree in DC. NBC News. NBC News, 26 Mar. 2014. Web. 4 Mar. 2015. . “Threescore and Ten.” The Phrase Finder. Ed. Gary Martin. Gary Martin, n.d. Web. 4 Mar. 2015. .