CRITICAL APPRECIATION OF LOVELIEST OF TREES, THE CHERRY NOW

BY A.E. HOUSMAN
1. Introduction
(i) Title: Loveliest of Tress, the Cherry Now
(ii) Poet: Alfred Edward Housman (1859 - 1936).

2. Lines 1-2
Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
Is hung with bloom along the bough,
In these lines the speaker says that the most beautiful and attractive tree
is the "cherry tree". The word "now" suggests that there is no time like the
present. The present is the only time actually available for the speaker, and
this understanding is likewise for us the first step on the road to taking full
advantage of the time we have. Thus the cherry tree represents good
fortune, which will soon disappear. Then the speaker imagines the blooms
hanging along the branches of the tree, almost as if they are ornaments on a
Christmas tree. The words "loveliest" and "bloom" are associated with spring
which is a short-lived season. In short, good fortune is beautiful and plentiful
when we have it.

3. Lines 3-4

And stands about the woodland ride

Wearing white for Eastertide,
These lines describe the location and appearance of the cherry tree. The
word "ride" can refer both to a ride on horseback that the speaker is taking,
or it can just be a noun describing the path he is on. Either way, the cherry
tree is "standing" along the ride. The cherry is "wearing white" is a case of
personification. "Eastertide" is a word used in the Christian calendar to
describe the time that includes Easter Sunday and the seven weeks right
after it. It is referred to joy and happiness.

4. Lines 5-6
Now, of my threescore years and ten,
Twenty will not come again,
After a stanza describing the tree itself, the speaker shifts to a more
reflective mood here. He says that he has threescore years and ten, and
twenty will never come again. The speaker imagines that he will reach the
ripe old age of 70; the length of man's life. At present the speaker is 20 years
old, and knows that past years can never return. In short, the speaker has
conveyed the messege that time ticks and life moves fast like in a ride.

5. Lines 7-8

And take from seventy springs a score,

It only leaves me fifty more.

In these lines the speaker uses the same roundabout method to calculate
how many years he has left of life. Assuming that the speaker will live to be
70, if he takes away the 20 years he has already lived, that means he has
only got 50 years left. "Seventy springs" is like saying seventy years; spring
comes once a year. The "years" phrased as "springs" The speaker has
intentionally used the word "springs" instead of "years" to show his love for
nature. Moreover, the word "springs" prepares the way for the stanza that
follows and leads us into winter.

6. Lines 9-10

And since to look at things in bloom

Fifty springs are little room,
The speaker claims that fifty years is not enough time to enjoy the beauty
of "things". He uses the word "things" instead of "trees" to open the poem to
the blooming not just of the cherry tree, but of the whole world. Fifty years is
just enough "room" to squeeze in all the sightseeing he wants to do.
However, the speaker is not talking about sightseeing. Sure, he says "look at
things in bloom".Fifty years is a long time, and if the speaker has fifty years
left, he really shouldn't be worried about seizing the day. In short, the
speaker wants to say that the number of things he would like to do in life
cannot possibly be accomplished in just fifty years.

7. Lines 11-12
about the woodland I will go
to see the cherry hung with snow.
Since the speaker is committed to making the most of things, he will go
about the woodlands and look at the "cherry hung with snow". The "cherry
hung with snow" is a metaphor for how the trees look when they are covered
with white blossoms. But why use the idea of snow when, here we are,
smack dab in the middle of spring? It is as though, even in the midst of
blossoming spring's rebirth and renewal -- and this re-dedication to enjoying
all life has to offer -- the speaker can't shake the inevitability of death.

9. Conclusion

The poem is deceptively simple. Plain diction, short lines, short stanzas,
and the expression in the first person add to the lyric quality of the poem.
The poem utilizes tone devices, literary devices, and poetic structure in order
to formulate an awe inspiring outlook at the concept of carpe diem that
causes the reader to question his or her own attitude towards the sanctity of
life and time. It forces the reader to realize the fleeting nature of life, and
that the true path to happiness resides in the ideal of spontaneous life, not to
live in a state of constant regret and remorse. In short, the poem conveys an
intimate attitude that advocates "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may".

8. Literary Devices
(i) Rhyme Scheme: AABB/CCDD/EEFF
(ii) Meter Check: Iambic tetrameter
(iii) Alliteration: "Bloom and bough", "woodland, wearing and white", "ten
and twenty", seventy, springs, and score".
(iv) Symbols: The cherry tree (youth and beauty), blooms (life and rebirth),
Eastertide (death and resurrection), snow (coldness and death)
(v) Metaphors: Springs (years), look at things in bloom (making the most of
things), snow (white blossoms)
(vi) Personification: The cherry tree (wearing white for Eastertide)
(vii) Tone: Lighthearted, regretful and revitalized
(viii) Themes: Beauty of nature, nostalgia, and brevity of life