Jordan Baines
A single fir-tree, lonely,
on a northern mountain height,
sleeps in a white blanket,
draped in snow and ice.
His dreams are of a palm-tree,
who, far in eastern lands,
weeps, all alone and silent,
among the burning sands.
Heinrich Heine
https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/palm-tree
Biography
Heinrich Heine is a German author born December 13th, 1797 in Düsseldorf. He is the son of a middle class Jewish family. With financial support from his uncle, Hienrich attended the University of Bonn in 1819. A.W. von Schlegel, professor of literature encouraged his literary bent. He later moved on to the University of Berlin and attended lectures of G. W. F. Hegel. With literary sponsors it helped him publish Gedichte (Poems) in 1822.
Analyzing
The poem is about the contrast of winter and summer. It shows how being in one place can make you want to be in another. This poem is about how the author is trapped in one place wishing he was in another place. His tone is soft but it shows his longing for another place. Figurative language is used in describing his longing for the beach. It's used in, "weeps, all alone and silent, among the burning sands." This is showing how the author is alone. "A single fir-tree, lonely..." This shows how the author wants to be with someone. The poem is showing that the author is not together because theres no rhyme. Each stanza is one sentence with four lines. The tone is starting off sad then turns happy. He talks about the winter and how its quiet and lonely. Towards the end he talks about his dreams of palm trees and longing to be in the summer. The theme of the poem is don't take for granted what you already have.
on a northern mountain height,
sleeps in a white blanket,
draped in snow and ice.
His dreams are of a palm-tree,
who, far in eastern lands,
weeps, all alone and silent,
among the burning sands.
Heinrich Heine
https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/palm-tree
Biography
Heinrich Heine is a German author born December 13th, 1797 in Düsseldorf. He is the son of a middle class Jewish family. With financial support from his uncle, Hienrich attended the University of Bonn in 1819. A.W. von Schlegel, professor of literature encouraged his literary bent. He later moved on to the University of Berlin and attended lectures of G. W. F. Hegel. With literary sponsors it helped him publish Gedichte (Poems) in 1822.
Analyzing
The poem is about the contrast of winter and summer. It shows how being in one place can make you want to be in another. This poem is about how the author is trapped in one place wishing he was in another place. His tone is soft but it shows his longing for another place. Figurative language is used in describing his longing for the beach. It's used in, "weeps, all alone and silent, among the burning sands." This is showing how the author is alone. "A single fir-tree, lonely..." This shows how the author wants to be with someone. The poem is showing that the author is not together because theres no rhyme. Each stanza is one sentence with four lines. The tone is starting off sad then turns happy. He talks about the winter and how its quiet and lonely. Towards the end he talks about his dreams of palm trees and longing to be in the summer. The theme of the poem is don't take for granted what you already have.
When reading the poem I felt that the author wanted to have one than one setting. He needed the reader to feel that they were in summer and winter. Heine used imagery and disruptive words to get the audiences to understand and meet his goals. Tone changed because the authors word choice and the winter normally isn't that happy. Since summer gives off a more positive vibe the tone change to positive.
ReplyDeleteThe poet relied on his longing for another person to be absorbed by the reader. Therefore carrying the tone of loneliness throughout his piece. The tone shifts between the two stanzas, however, from peace as described as, "sleeps in a white blanket" to saddened by a loss or longing for someone as described as, "weeps, all alone and silent". As stated by Jordan, there is no rhyme scheme; thus, showing division or separation. Possibly separation due to the "palm tree" being miles away from the "winter fir".
ReplyDeleteI believe that the author tried to use his personal experience of nostalgia to carry out its tone of loneliness. I agree with your point of being one way can make you miss being another way, but I disagree with the statement that the tone starts of sad and ends up happy. I don’t think that the author was trying to make that point. I think the author was trying to come off that even when you are back in the place that you want, you still can feel alone. The tone did definitely change from sad/loneliness to hopefulness.
ReplyDelete