Unforgettable trees from literature

After years of extensive research and exploration, this is what acclaimed German forester and author Peter Wohlleben wrote in his groundbreaking book 'The Hidden Life of Trees':

"Trees can feel pain, and they have emotions, such as fear. They like to stand close to each other and cuddle. Trees adore company and like to take things slow."

That's not the only "absurd" (as many people refer to them) claims Wohlleben makes about trees. According to him, tree parents live together with their children, communicate with them, support them as they grow, share nutrients with those who are sick or struggling, and even warn each other of impending dangers.

Though Wohlleben's ideas and statements might sound weird to many, they hold much relevance in literature, wherein trees have always been more than mere objects of Nature. They have been crucial in deriving inspiration for several poets and authors, and their shade have served as the perfect writing spot for them.

Trees also find a significant space in many writings. For romantic poets like William Blake, John Keats, William Wordsworth, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, trees have been found to represent physical and spiritual nourishment, transformation and liberation, union and fertility. They are seen as powerful symbols of growth and resurrection. Furthermore, in many folk religions, trees are said to be homes of spirits.

This leaves no doubts regarding the fact that trees are an inseparable part of literature. In addition, many trees have become memorable by the role they played in the storyline. Here is a look at a few of them.

The oak tree is a symbol of strength and reaching out to others in 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. It stands at the edge of the Radleys' yard, and its roots extend into the side road, causing the road to be bumpy. Also, Boo Radley uses the oak tree as a means to communicate with the outside world and demonstrates his compassion for the children by giving them gifts in the knothole of the tree. These gifts are significant because they represent Boo's benevolence, identify him as a compassionate neighbor, and reveal his attempt to form a friendship with the Finch children.

Pic credit: RHUK

One of the most powerful images in 'Jane Eyre' is that of the shattered chestnut tree. It is initially a symbol of life where Rochester proposes to Jane under its boughs. However, split in two by a violent storm that very night, it indicates the disaster to come i.e. the failed wedding day and Mr. Rochester's injury. It finally reappears at the end of the novel when Rochester proposes for the second time, and says, "I am no better than the old lightning-struck chestnut-tree in Thornfield orchard." In other words, the tree, initially a simple object in the novel, is transformed by events into a complex image and powerful symbol of Jane and Rochester's relationship.

Pic credit: Amazing Reads

'Siddhartha' tells the life story of Siddhartha Gautama aka Budhha and highlights the moment when he first attained enlightenment. After spending 49 days meditating, Gautama discovered the truth about life while sitting under a Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, India. For this reason, the Bodhi tree is common in Buddhist teachings and symbols.

Pic credit: Fingerprint! Publishing

The novel follows a pair of young, innocent twins - Estha and Rahel - who one day discover an old boat lying beneath a mangosteen tree that their great-grandfather, a minor religious celebrity known as the Revered E. John Ipe, had planted on the banks of the Meenachal River. Estha and Rahel, and, later, their British cousin Sophie Mol, take to playing in the boat. Interestingly, it is the same boat used by their mother to cross the river at night and meet with her lover, which is a violation of both caste and class conventions. Also, it is the same boat from which Sophie Mol will tumble and drown. The mangosteen witnesses this all and is the mark of history. It is a tree planted by a great-grandfather in colonial times, a tree sheltering the secret of an illicit love affair, and a tree under which childhood innocence drowns in the trauma of adulthood.

Pic credit: Penguin India

Metaphorical in nature, the willow trees in 'Othello' only exist in Desdemona's song, which she learned from one of her mother's servants who loved an insane man. The willow tree is here a symbol of Desdemona's sadness and emotion over her lost love, foreshadowing the impending death of this love as well as her own physical death. Furthermore, when Iago stabs Emilia in the final scene for revealing him as the villain, she too sings the Willow Song. Both Emilia and Desdemona use the song to express their despair that results from the cruelty of men.

Pic credit: Maple Press

The poem, which was published in 1881 celebrates the majesty of the Casuarina Tree that the poet used to see by her window. The tree is used as a symbolic representation of the poet’s past memories and the rich tradition of Indian culture and philosophy. The poet remembers the tree because of the many happy memories of childhood days that are linked to it which are a source of comfort and consolation to her in another country. The poem, therefore, underlines the importance of memories in human life. The tree brings to the poet's mind the memories of the time when she used to play under it in the company of her brother and sister both of whom are already dead. She immortalizes the tree for the sake of her loved ones by writing a poem for it.

Pic credit: Wikimedia Commons

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