Our Casuarina Tree Summary, Analysis, Explanation
1. An Introductory Note :
Our Casuarina Tree by the young poetess Toru Dutt, a romantic lyric, has an intimately personal association. The tree belonged to the big garden-house at Rambagan where the poetess passed her girlhood and youth. She used to play, with her young mates, under the boughs of that vast tree which occupied much of her young heart.[Our Casuarina Tree Summary]
Our Casuarina Tree is an impulsive, frank expression of the poetess’ intimate attachment to the big, hoary tree that bore the happy memories of her early days and sweet companions. Though she lived apart from her country home and favourite tree for a pretty long time, when she was in France and Italy, she could not forget that and remained with it even in her quiet mood and happy vision.
Our Casuarina Tree is a touching recollection in a pleasant lyric of an object of Nature, so dear and intimate to the poetess.
2. Analysis and Development of the Poetess’ Thoughts :
I. The poetess presents a graphic image of the vast, hoary Casuarina tree (on the adjoining garden of her dwelling house). She details the rugged trunk with scars, the creeper climbing and covering this like a scarf, and the clusters of crimson flowers hanging from the boughs. She also mentions how the environment is graced with the birds and the bees gathering on the tree and the sweet tune of a singing bird enchants the silent nightly repose.
Comment : The poetess’ account of her favourite tree is quite vivid and detailed. Her poetic art to draw imagery is here well confirmed. At the same time, an innate touch of her personal life with the tree is clear here. .
II. The poetess recalls happily how her dear tree was a delight to her in all hours and seasons. “A gray baboon’, sitting ‘statue-like alone’ on the crest of the tree, with This puny offspring’ leaping about and playing was an enjoyable sight to her. The songs of the kokilas, hailing the dawn hailed her, too, to her immense delight. She also happily remembers the quiet and graphic shadow of the tree, cast on the broad tank, with lovely white lilies all around.
Comment : This is also a picturesque description, and reveals the inner feeling of the poetess, so much attached to her favourite big tree.
III. The poetess admits what she does owe to the tree that is very dear to her. She remembers her happy play with her sweet companions under its boughs. This tree is particularly so dear to her for the sweet remembrance of her girlhood companions, far away from her now. She even perceives in the soft murmur of its leaves a deep note of pathos for those who are no more present by her side. Comment : The lines are quite touching. From her intimate attachment to Nature the poetess passes to her loving association with her human companions, whose memory she still cherishes fondly. Indeed, Nature and man are brought together on the same plane of the tender feeling of love, so intense in romantic poetry.
IV. The poetess recapitulates how during her visit to distant foreign lands, she retained her fellowship with the tree and seemed to hear its sad murmur and visualize its majestic form in her own native land, then far remote from her.
Comment : This is a romantic recollection of some pleasant and sublime form of Nature, in the Wordsworthian vein. That the poetess’ passion is genuinely romantic is found here soundly confirmed.
V. The poetess now pays her homage gladly to the tree that was even dear to those who, now in happy rest, were all dear to her. She proposes to dedicate this verse in its honour. She is quite assured that this tree will remain and stand with other trees even after her departure from this lovely earth. She also hopes that this verse, consecrated to the tree, will preserve its memory and save it from a total oblivion.
Comment : The concluding passage specifically marks two features. First, the romantic melancholy note that perceives the poetess’ own death, though the tree will continue to survive. Second, her hope to immortalize an earthly element (i. e. the tree) by the power of her verse and save her dear tree from the curse of oblivion. Both these features add to the lyrical grace and appeal of Toru Dutta’s poem.
ANNOTATIONS, INTERPRETATIONS AND COMMENTARIES
Stanza 1
Gist : The poetess sketches, with a fond attachment, the features casuarina tree of her garden-home, so majestic and grand. She details it with the climbing creeper, winding its rugged trunk, like a scarf, the clusters of crimson flowers, hanging from its boughs, on which birds and bees gather. The sweet song from a solitary bird, sitting on it, seems to enchant the drowsy night.
the Like a huge Python—this is about the creeper that climbs the vast, rough of the casuarina tree of the poetess’ garden-home. Python is a gigantic poisonous snake. Winding………trunk-encircling closely the hard, sharpened big trunk casuarina tree. The rugged trunk-the trunk is very old, turned tough and rough by the passage of time. Indented deep with scars, there are the spots of thick scars on all over the trunk. Up to its……..stars–the implication is the loftiness of the tree, The trunk of the tree is high enough and seems to touch the stars. N.B. There is a sort of the Shelleyan exaggeration here. A creeper climbs—this is the creeper that encircles the trunk like a python.
N.B. The simile is clear enough. In whose………live the suggestion is that the creeper encircles the trunk very tightly. There is also the suggestion that this tree is much stronger than other trees. But gallantly the giantthe reference is to the tree that is compared to a giant. Of course, this is because of its gigantic size. The tree is described as of a formidable strength to bear the hard , tough pressure of the python-like creeper. Wears the scart-the creeper, winding around the rugged trunk, is likened to a scarf. N.B. The entire description, no doubt precise, figurative highly. Both the tree and the creeper are personified. The metaphorical imagery about the creeper, embracing the trunk, is well conceived.
Flowers are hung………. boughs among the clusters of the flowers of the crimson colour are found hanging among the boughs of the tree. N.B. The image is vivid, a perfect specimen of the figure vision’ Whereon all day………..bee birds and bees are found to gather on the boughs of the tree. N.B. The figure hyperbaton or inversion is used in the inversion of the proper grammatical order of words—bird and bee are gathered whereon all day.
And oft at night-very often during the night. The garden……..Sweet song the garden is overflown with one sweet song (possibly of some singing bird). N.B. The reminiscence of Shelley’s description of the song of the skylark is perceived here. To have no close the song is incessant, seems to have no end at all. Sung darkling, the song is sung in the darkness of the night. Our tree the reference is to the casuarina tree of the poetess’ garden-home.
While men repose when men are taking rest in the bosom of sleep. N.B. The poetess does not state anything categorical about ‘one sweet song.’ The implication is, perhaps, of some particular singing bird that is heard to sing sweetly all through the silent night. Of course, one may be reminded of Keats’s Ode to a Nightingale here
In some melodious plot Of beechen green, and shadows numberless,
“That thou light-winged Dryad of the trees
Stanza 2
Singest of summer in full-throated ease.”
Gist: The poetess relates, in a tone of intimacy, the sights and the song enjoyed by her out of her association with that tree. The tree itself, the sight of the gray sole baboon and its playful offspring’s on its boughs, the sweet tune of the kokilas, the slow move of the sleepy cows under the tree, the reflection of that massive tree on a big tank of the garden and blooming snow-white water-lilies thereon serve to delight her often.
When first……….at dawn—in the early morning, the window of the poetess’ chamber is opened widely. My eyes……….rest-her vision is delighted, as she sees the tree. Sometimes………… Winter-occasionally and particularly in the wintry season. On its crest-on the top of the tree. A gray baboon………alone an isolated picture but vivid enough. N.B. The simile in ‘statue-like’ is life-like. Watching the sunrise the baboon, perhaps, sits with its look at the eastern horizon, as if to see the sunrise. N.B. A subtle imaginative touch.
While on………play-a very homely and picturesque account. The offsprings of the gray baboon leap about and play on lower boughs. N.B. Another instance of the hyperbaton-While his puny offsprings leap about and play on lower boughs. And far………hail the day—the early notes of kokilas all around seem to greet the dawn, of course from the boughs of the tree. Wend move on. To their pastures…………Cows-the cows of her house are seen going for their pastures in drowsy ways. N.B. Another familiar but clear picture. Cf. Gray’s Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard :
“The lowing herd wind slowly o’er the lea,
The ploughman homeward plods his weary way………..”
And in the……….tree the shadow of that old tree is reflected on the broad tank of the garden. Broad tank-vast pond of the garden. Cast-is reflected. Hoar-old. That hoar tree the casuarina tree. So beautiful and vast-the tree is not only gigantic in shape but lovely in appearance. N.B. The poetess is full of love and regard for her casuarina tree. The water-lilies—the water-lilies that are blooming on the broad tank. Like snow enmassed—the water-lilies are compared to the gathered snow. The bright whiteness of the lilies are suggested. Enmassed formed together; thick mass of snow. N.B. The likeness of the blooming water-lilies to the enmassed snow is a happy instance of simile.
Stanza 3
Gist : The poetess affirms that the tree is so dear grandeur and majesty but also for the happy memory of her beloved companions with whom she used to play (in her girlhood days) beneath its boughs. Though many years have passed, their sweet remembrance yet persists in her and affects her emotionally . But this is not all. The poetess seems to hear in the soft murmur (raised by its branches) its sad mourning that may reach far-off lands.
majesticity But not becauseit is not for. Its magnificence—the sublimity as well as of the tree. Dear is…….Soulthe casuarina tree is so dear to her. N.B. The Casuarina is dear to my soul-another case of the inversion or hyperbaton. But not……soul the poetess is quite frank in her admission that the tree is dear to her so much not simply because of its vastness and sublimity. Beneath it……….played she states her reason which is the association of the tree with her girlhood days, when she used to play with her mates under the boughs of her casuarina tree.
Beneath………playech the poetess used to play with her mates under the tree. Though years may rollmany years have passed since those early days. Sweet companions—this is an apostrophe to her girlhood mates with whom she used to play beneath the casuarina tree. Loved…… intense she loved those mates deeply . The poetess’ impulsive feeling for her companions is distinct here. For your……. dear the tree is so dear to her for the sake of her companions with whom she used to play beneath its boughs. Blent with your images-to the poetess the memory of her mates seems have merged with the very tree. She emphasizes how much does her dear tree mean to her.
It shall………memory-the memory of the tree, along with that of her mates , will ever persist in her mind. Till the…….eyes-she will be overwhelmed with her feeling at the recollection of the past, so sweet, but gone for ever. What is that………etc.—This is actually a romantic imagination. The poetess seems to hear in the murmur, raised by the boughs of the trees, some kind of dirge (a funeral song). Dirgefuneral song. It……..lament-she looks upon this as the mourning of the tree for the days, so sweet yet sad and gone. An eerie speech-a mystical, inexplicable expression. That happy…………reach— the far-ranging imagination of the poetess. She expects the lamentation to reach the far-off lands.
Stanza 4
Gist : The poetess admits her feeling how she was deeply touched and stirred by the memory of the tree, when she was away in some foreign country of France or Italy. She recalls her visualization of the majestic, grand form of the tree, so much known to her, from her early girlhood, of her native place from her foreign abode. Unknown, this is repeated from the previous stanza and is reminiscent of the first line of the last stanza of Keats’s Ode to a Nightingale “Forlorn! the very word is like a bell”.
Yet well-known……..faith—the implication is the power faith that brings closer
to that which is far distant. That wail—the lament of the tree. Far away……….landsthe poetess refers to her stay in foreign lands, far away from her native place. Sheltered bay-the reference is to the gulf of the sea-water, near the Mediterranean Sea, well covered by the surrounding lands. Ah, have………..sheltered bay—the poetess remembers how the memory of the tree and its sad lament seemed to echo to her even when she was in some distant foreign land.
When slumbered………….or Italy—the poetess refers to her stay in France and Italy with her sister Aru Dutt for several years because of her illness. She romantically expresses the whole situation, when she lived by the side of the sea. Beneath the moon—under moon-light. Lay tranced under the enchantment of sleep. In a dreamless swoonthe poetess refers to the state of slumber that is left undisturbed by the effect of any dream. And every……..rose she seemed to hear how the dirge like murmur from the tree continued. Before………form sublime the poetess perceived before her the very vision of the tree, so majestic and so sublime. Thy form, O tree_this is an apostrophe to the casuarina tree. As in my……….native clime-as she used to see it in her dear native land.
Stanza 5
Gist : The poetess proposes to dedicate a song in the honour of her beloved tree, so much in association with her dear mates, now no more. She believes that this will remain, along with other trees, as it is now, even after her own death. She has also a firm conviction that her poem, written in praise of her casuarina tree, will ever keep it alive in the memory of the world. 1
I fain………….a lay—the poetess proposes to dedicate gladly a poem in honour of the tree. Beloved of those are repose she refers to her mates and others, once closely associated with the tree, but now far removed or dead. Dearer………..me those companions were much loved by the poetess. She even considers them much dearer than her own life. Mayst thou ………deathless trees—the poetess expects that the tree will remain along with other long living trees even after her death.
Like those in Borrowdale the reference to those trees which are eternally alive in the blessed realm of heaven. Under……….pale—the poetess speaks here of men’s fear, uncertain hope, certain death and misery of life that linger in the sublime land after death. And time the shadow— time that causes shadow to everything; that is the time which obliterates all. Though weak the verse_the poetess is very modest.
That would……..rehearse—that is intended for praising the beauty of the tree. May love……..curse-the poetess ardently hopes that her verse, expressing her love for her dear tree, will save it from oblivion and keep it fresh in the memory of the world. N.B. There is echoed the Shakespearean faith in the power of the verse to preserve the beauty even of an earthly object.
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Our Casuarina Tree Summary Our Casuarina Tree Summary Our Casuarina Tree Summary Our Casuarina Tree Summary Our Casuarina Tree Summary Our Casuarina Tree Summary Our Casuarina Tree Summary Our Casuarina Tree Summary Our Casuarina Tree Summary Our Casuarina Tree Summary Our Casuarina Tree Summary
Our Casuarina Tree Summary Our Casuarina Tree Summary Our Casuarina Tree Summary Our Casuarina Tree Summary Our Casuarina Tree Summary Our Casuarina Tree Summary Our Casuarina Tree Summary Our Casuarina Tree Summary Our Casuarina Tree Summary Our Casuarina Tree Summary Our Casuarina Tree Summary