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Trees

Alfred Joyce Kilmer, an American poet, wrote the poem 'Trees' which reflects on the beauty and sacredness of nature, comparing trees to living beings that embody divine creation. The poem emphasizes that no human art can match the perfection of a tree, culminating in the line 'Only God can make a tree.' Through personification and vivid imagery, Kilmer conveys a message of humility and faith, urging readers to appreciate the quiet wisdom of nature amidst the busyness of life.

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6 views2 pages

Trees

Alfred Joyce Kilmer, an American poet, wrote the poem 'Trees' which reflects on the beauty and sacredness of nature, comparing trees to living beings that embody divine creation. The poem emphasizes that no human art can match the perfection of a tree, culminating in the line 'Only God can make a tree.' Through personification and vivid imagery, Kilmer conveys a message of humility and faith, urging readers to appreciate the quiet wisdom of nature amidst the busyness of life.

Uploaded by

jaen.zoie
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Trees by Alfred Joyce Kilmer

About the Author


●​ Poet, journalist, essayist, lecturer
●​ Born on December 7, 1886 in USA
●​ Died on July 30, 1918 in France

​ Alfred Joyce Kilmer was an American poet, journalist, essayist, and lecturer. Kilmer was
born to a writer/composer mother and to a physician/chemist father who invented Johnson &
Johnson’s baby powder.

Kilmer was inspired to write Trees while living in a house with a window overlooking a
grove of trees. The view moved him to reflect on nature as a divine creation, leading to his most
beloved poem.

At the peak of his literary fame, Kilmer enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War I. He
served in the military intelligence unit. In July 1918, while on a scouting mission in France to
locate a German machine gun position. As he reached the top of a hill, he was fatally shot in the
head by a sniper at the age of 31.

Today, Kilmer is remembered for his heartfelt poetry and his strong religious faith, which
shaped his view of nature and life.

Trees Summary
The poem Trees is a short but meaningful piece that expresses awe at the beauty and
sacredness of a tree. Kilmer compares the tree to a living, praying being. It drinks from the
earth, looks at God, shelters birds, and embraces the changing seasons. The speaker admits
that no poem can ever be as beautiful or perfect as a tree. The poem ends with a simple but
powerful line: “Only God can make a tree.” Through this, Kilmer emphasizes that nature is a
divine creation that surpasses human art.

Literary Analysis
​ Joyce Kilmer’s Trees may seem simple at first, but it carries a deep reflection on the
limits of human art when compared to the beauty of nature. One of the most striking literary
devices he uses is personification. Kilmer gives the tree human-like qualities. It lifts its arms to
pray, looks at God all day, and wears a nest in its hair. These images help us see the tree as
something more than a plant. It becomes a symbol of quiet, constant worship.

Kilmer also uses imagery to appeal to our senses. He describes the tree drinking from
the earth, resting in snow, and being home to birds. These details make the tree feel alive and
grounded in the world around it.

The poem’s structure supports its message. It follows a consistent AABB rhyme scheme
and is written in iambic tetrameter. Iambic is a poetic meter characterized by lines containing
four iambs (unstressed-stressed syllable pairs), resulting in an eight-syllable line. This steady
rhythm gives the poem a gentle, musical quality. It feels calm and reflective, almost like a prayer
in itself.
All of these choices build up to the central theme of the poem, which is Divine Creation
versus Human Art. Kilmer clearly values poetry, yet he recognizes its limits. In the final lines, he
writes, “Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a tree.” This ending is
powerful. It shows Kilmer’s humility and faith. He believes that no matter how beautifully we
write or create, it will never compare to what God has made. The poem reminds us that nature
is not just beautiful—it is sacred. It invites us to admire the world not only as artists, but also as
believers in something greater than ourselves.

Link to Life

“Slow down”

This poem invites us to pause and reflect. In our busy lives, we often overlook the quiet
beauty around us. Trees reminds us that there is wisdom in stillness and strength in being
grounded. Just like a tree, we can grow, stay rooted, and quietly reach for something higher.
Sometimes, the most meaningful lessons come from things that ask for nothing—just like a tree
standing tall in silence.

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