“THE POPLAR TREE”

“THE POPLAR TREE”

- By William Cowper

“The Poplar Field” is a poem remarkable for its celebration of the rural and it is a nostalgic poem. It was written by William Cowper in a second half of the eighteenth century. The poem is based on the recollection of the poplar field in whose shade the poet passed his time listening to the melody of the blackbird. Now all the trees have been cut down. There is neither shade nor the whispering sound of the trees. The wind and the rustling song of the leaves are distant things of past. Twelve years have passed since he took a look of his favorite field. Now the trees are lying in the grass, providing seats to the people around. One can no more hear the song of the blackbird in the particular place for it has flown to another shelter. The poet is struck with grief because of it and feels that he will be dead soon before another grove will appear in the old place. The reference to his death in the near future vindicates the adverse effect of deforestation on him. Moreover it seems to suggest that it does not take as much time for deforestation as it does for reforestation. In the last stanza, he strikes the philosophical note by declaring that life is short but the pleasures of man are shorter than life. It makes the readers feel that the pleasures given by nature are unparalleled and unfortunately man himself is responsible for the destruction of these unforgettable pleasures.

              This poem can be considered as a defense of nature conservation. It shows how the conservation brings joy through the melody of birds, shade and cool wind. On the contrary, the destruction of nature deprives the man of all the pleasures for decades. There can be neither pleasant wind nor shade nor the melodious song of the birds within his reach. In the absence of nature around, the lovers of nature will be low-spirited and wish themselves dead instead of living in a polluted atmosphere. Such an atmosphere and peace will not be suitable for such living things that find peace and tranquility in the lap of nature. Moreover, the poem clearly shows the link between the deforestation and life. In other words, the destruction of nature implies the destruction of pleasures of man, ultimately leading towards the destruction of mankind.