“The Black Walnut Tree”

AP Literature & Composition

2013 Poetry Analysis

Susan Skinkle

AP Literature & Language Teacher, Centerpoint High School, Amity, Arkansas

AP Language Reader, AAIMS English Consultant, NMSI English Consultant

Question 1 Poetry Analysis - 2013

Carefully read the following poem by Mary Oliver. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how Oliver conveys the relationship between the tree and the family through the use of figurative language and other poetic techniques.

Question 1 Poetry Analysis - 2013

Carefully read the following poem by Mary Oliver. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how Oliver conveys the relationship between the tree and the family through the use of figurative language and other poetic techniques.

Question 1 Poetry Analysis - 2013

Carefully read the following poem by Mary Oliver. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how Oliver conveys the relationship between the tree and the family through the use of figurative language and other poetic techniques.

Question 1 Poetry Analysis - 2013

Carefully read the following poem by Mary Oliver. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how Oliver conveys the relationship between the tree and the family through the use of figurative language and other poetic techniques.

Question 1 Poetry Analysis - 2013

Carefully read the following poem by Mary Oliver. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how Oliver conveys the relationship between the tree and the family through the use of figurative language and other poetic techniques.

​

ALWAYS consider tone, point of view, and BIG IDEA. Good analysis must always make a connection to these key elements.

Question 1 Poetry Analysis - 2013

Carefully read the following poem by Mary Oliver. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how Oliver conveys the relationship between the tree and the family through the use of figurative language and other poetic techniques.

​

ALWAYS consider tone, point of view, and BIG IDEA. Good analysis must always make a connection to these key elements.

COMPLEXITY

Components of Analysis

• What?
• What does the poet do to create the desired result?
• These are poetic devices and techniques.
• How?
• Textual Evidence
• You must pull specific examples of the device you are analyzing from the poem.
• Keep these short and to the point!
• Why?
• Your analysis – this is all you!
• Explain why you believe the poet uses this technique
• What does the poet want the reader to think, or feel, or do in response to the poem?

​

Approaching the prompt:

• With only 40 minutes, time management is critical!
• 10-15 minutes to perform critical reading and annotation
• 5 minutes to plan
• 20-25 minutes to write

​

​

• Note – You must be responsible for your own TIME. Jot your start time at the top of the prompt as you begin. This will help you stay on track!

STOP!

• Read the prompt and poem with a critical eye.

​

• What exactly is the prompt asking you to do?

​

• What is the BIG IDEA in this poem?

Formulate an introduction and thematic statement…

• Include TAG
• Title
• Author
• Genre
• Address meaning – show you understand the poem and what the prompt is asking of you.

​

Sample Intro…

In the contemplative poem “The Black Walnut Tree” by Mary Oliver, the speaker reflects on the sentimental value of an ancient tree that has stood watch over generations of her family. As she and her mother are faced with more practical concerns that may demand the sacrifice of the tree, she comes to realize the bonds of family history outweigh the demands of the financial crisis that now looms.

Universal Statement Conclusions

• In the conclusion of your essay, you should move from a thematic statement to a universal statement.
• So….what is the difference?
• Thematic statements reveal what the writer says about the subject and literal meaning.
• Universal statements can be applied to any one at any time or place. They are a life application. What did the writer want the reader to think, feel, or do?

​

• Include a universal statement in the conclusion:
• Link the specific theme of the work to a more general life application.
• Include abstract words (fear, love, acceptance)
• Avoid absolute terms (all, none, always)

​

Universal Statement = abstract idea + a comment or observation which addresses the human condition or life application.

​

Take your universal statement conclusion to a life application…

Literature is like life;

​

Life is like literature.

​

So…what have we learned from this work?

​

from Peggy Leeman

​

Sample conclusion…

​

Facing imminent crisis can cause one to evaluate what is really important. Weighing the value of the lasting endurance of family ties may reveal that what seem to be purely practical decisions are often influenced by deeper emotional considerations.

​

Looking at a sample…

In her poem, The Black Walnut Tree, Mary Oliver contrasts the practical needs of a family with the emotional bonds that are equally necessary to hold people together. In illustrating this conflict, Oliver develops two images of the relationship between the family and the tree, a literal relationship between two women and a valuable piece of property, and an allegorical relationship where the tree stands in as the critical thread tying together the family. Through use of imagery, simile, symbolism, and diction, Oliver shows that the relationship between the family and the tree transcends pragmatism, and truly represents the beautiful and infinite connections that hold together a family even against the trials of time.

As the poem begins, the women attempt to envision the tree as another possession, which can be easily destroyed. Oliver uses the imagery of the “dark boughs” and “smashing” of heavy branches against their home to evoke a feeling of fear. In practical terms, the tree is developed as a dangerous and unruly resident. The characters attempt to slowly build up the will to cut down the tree using parallel structure. They list the dangers of the tree, one by one, “roots in the cellar drains,” along with “heavier” leaves, that threaten their ability to survive as a family. At the literal level, the family sees the tree as a potential threat, attempting to justify cutting down the tree by appealing to the practical implications of keeping the tree. In this sense, Oliver develops the tree as simply another worry the family can do away with.

Yet the fact that the women are ultimately unable to destroy the unwelcome resident demonstrates the deep importance of the tree as a mark of their family history and as a member of their family. Oliver implies that their connection to the tree is almost loving when she notes that they had an “edge” that “moves in [their] blood.” The tree forges the family together against the continual rage of time, which Oliver describes as the metaphorical “whip-crack” of the mortgage as the family “swings through another year.” The tree, against adversity and practical concerns, has become a symbol of their family, which swings on through difficult seasons on the brink of bankruptcy. At a deeper level, the tree stands in for the principle of family, “something brighter than money,” but also for the women’s connection to the father. Just as the father exists in the natural realms of “blue fields” and “fresh and generous Ohio,” the tree is a small reminder of that world. As it digs its roots under their house, it is also a piece of their father, a replacement for the “emptiness” that would come if they were to throw out their memories. The tree, along with the ‘[bounds]” through the years based on strong family connections and a powerful love.

The tree thus lives in two realms, a literal realm and an allegorical realm. While on the surface, the tree appears to be a danger to the family, it is also a critical part of the family holding them together in an unrelenting world. The tree, standing in for the father, is a loved member of the family.