THE OAK
by Alfred Lord Tennyson
Live thy Life,
Young and old,
Like yon oak,
Bright in spring,
Living gold;
Summer-rich
Then; and then
Autumn-changed
Soberer-hued
Gold again.
All his leaves
Fall’n at length,
Look, he stands,
Trunk and bough
Naked strength.
Photo: “Old Oak Tree” by Sue Bristo, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) was Poet Laureate of Great Britain and Ireland during much of Queen Victoria’s reign and remains one of the most popular British poets. His most famous composition is “The Charge of the Light Brigade” (1854), written about a battle during the Crimean War. The poem includes the often-quoted line: “Theirs not to reason why / Theirs but to do and die.” (For more about Tennyson, visit Wikipedia.)
Beautiful! (Love your new look, btw)
Reblogged this on The Blogging Pot and commented:
I love oak trees and remember collecting acorns as a small child. They are used to represent strength and growth. Ironically, we had an oak tree in the backyard of my childhood home and it actually passed away. Oak trees are beautiful in parks but a bit too big for our suburban backyard and was quite incompatible with our swimming pool. I am a tree lover and played no role in its demise but this tree I guess is a part of my personal journey with the oak tree.
More recently, acorns have featured in a few of my poems. I remember finding them as a child and being total spellbound. It was like finding a gold coin. So special.
Anyway, that’s oak trees from me.
xx Rowena
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