Trees are powerful symbols in poetry. They represent life, endurance, change, and wisdom. Poets across the centuries have found in trees a mirror of human experiences. Their growth, their stillness, and even their decay offer lessons about life itself. In this article, we explore 11 beautiful poems about trees and life, each offering a different reflection on our shared existence.
11 Poems About Trees and Life That Celebrate Growth and Wisdom
1. “The Sound of Trees” by Robert Frost
Robert Frost often wrote about nature, and in “The Sound of Trees,” he reflects on human hesitation through the metaphor of trees.
Excerpt:
“I shall set forth for somewhere,
I shall make the reckless choice
Some day when they are in voice
And tossing so as to scare
The white clouds over them on.”
Frost listens to the trees’ constant stirring, recognizing a restless desire to move — yet he, like the trees, remains rooted. This poem speaks to our tendency to dream of change but remain stuck in place.
Source: Frost, Robert. Mountain Interval (1916).
2. “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer
One of the most famous poems about trees, Kilmer’s “Trees” celebrates the divine beauty of nature.
Excerpt:
“I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.”
The simple, rhyming lines highlight a tree’s sacredness, suggesting that no human creation can rival what nature, and by extension, God, has made. Kilmer’s poem reminds us to honor life’s quiet miracles.
Source: Kilmer, Joyce. Trees and Other Poems (1914).
3. “Birches” by Robert Frost
Another masterpiece by Frost, “Birches” connects childhood innocence and adult weariness through the image of bent birch trees.
Excerpt:
“I’d like to get away from earth awhile
And then come back to it and begin over.”
Frost imagines a boy swinging through the birch trees. The bending trees become symbols of resilience and longing for a simpler, lighter existence. Life bends us, but it need not break us.
Source: Frost, Robert. Mountain Interval (1916).
4. “The Apple Tree” by Dorothy Parker
In “The Apple Tree,” Dorothy Parker offers a darker view of trees and life.
Excerpt:
“There is no wrath in the stars,
They do not rage at our wrongs;
There is no balm in the trees,
They do not comfort our songs.”
Parker contrasts human emotions with nature’s indifference. The apple tree stands silent, offering no comfort to the sorrowful. This poem presents a view of life as lonely, where nature exists apart from human grief.
Source: Parker, Dorothy. Sunset Gun: Poems (1928).
5. “The Heart of the Tree” by Henry Cuyler Bunner
This poem celebrates the timeless gift that a tree-planter gives to future generations.
Excerpt:
“He who plants a tree
Plants a hope.”
Each tree planted is a living promise. Bunner emphasizes trees as symbols of faith in tomorrow, binding generations through acts of quiet courage and care.
Source: Bunner, Henry Cuyler. Poems (1893).
6. “The Oak” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Tennyson uses the oak tree as a metaphor for strength and aging.
Excerpt:
“Live thy life,
Young and old,
Like yon oak,
Bright in spring,
Living gold;”
The oak grows, flourishes, weathers storms, and eventually dies — much like a human life. Tennyson urges readers to live boldly at every stage of existence, just as the oak does.
Source: Tennyson, Alfred, Lord. The Foresters (1892).
7. “Advice from a Tree” by Ilan Shamir
This modern poem provides a warm and inspirational message drawn directly from the life of a tree.
Excerpt:
“Stand tall and proud.
Go out on a limb.
Remember your roots.”
Shamir encourages resilience, risk-taking, and authenticity. The poem uses the tree’s natural qualities as life advice. Its accessible language makes its wisdom even more impactful.
Source: Shamir, Ilan. Advice from a Tree (1999).
8. “A Poison Tree” by William Blake
Blake’s poem offers a darker allegory using a tree to explore anger and repression.
Excerpt:
“And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright;
And my foe beheld it shine,
And he knew that it was mine.”
The poison tree, nourished by suppressed wrath, becomes deadly. Blake warns that hidden emotions can grow into destructive forces. Trees here represent the organic spread of inner corruption.
Source: Blake, William. Songs of Experience (1794).
9. “Under the Greenwood Tree” by William Shakespeare
Found in As You Like It, this song from Shakespeare’s play praises a simple, natural life under a tree.
Excerpt:
“Here shall he see
No enemy
But winter and rough weather.”
In the forest, away from human politics and ambition, life is simpler but also harsher. The tree offers shelter and truth. Shakespeare highlights the honest hardships of a natural life compared to the artificial struggles of courtly living.
Source: Shakespeare, William. As You Like It (c. 1599).
10. “To a Tree” by Karle Wilson Baker
Baker addresses a tree directly, seeing it as a model of silent endurance.
Excerpt:
“Thou hast not learned to scorn,
Though foul winds smite thee.”
The tree endures storms without bitterness. Baker suggests that life’s true wisdom lies in patience and dignity. Trees teach us strength without pride, acceptance without defeat.
Source: Baker, Karle Wilson. The Garden of the Plynck (1913).
11. “The Tree” by Ezra Pound
Pound’s early poem uses sparse, vivid imagery to present a tree as a figure of quiet, enduring beauty.
Excerpt:
“I stood still and was a tree amid the wood,
Knowing the truth of things unseen before.”
Here, the speaker becomes one with the tree, achieving a new understanding of life. Pound shows how stillness and observation can reveal profound truths, hidden in everyday scenes.
Source: Pound, Ezra. A Quinzaine for this Yule (1908).
Conclusion
Poets throughout history have turned to trees for inspiration because trees are timeless teachers. They show us how to live with patience, humility, strength, and hope. The 11 poems explored here offer a broad range of emotions and lessons, each rooted in the simple yet profound life of trees.
As you walk through a forest or sit beneath a single tree, remember the words of Joyce Kilmer: “Poems are made by fools like me, / But only God can make a tree.” In their silent grandeur, trees continue to whisper the deepest truths of life — if only we take the time to listen.
