The Trees in the garden

The trees in the garden rained flowers.
Children ran there joyously.
They gathered the flowers
Each to himself.
Now there were some
Who gathered great heaps—
Having opportunity and skill—
Until, behold, only chance blossoms
Remained for the feeble.
Then a little spindling tutor
Ran importantly to the father, crying:
"Pray, come hither!
"See this unjust thing in your garden!"
But when the father had surveyed,
He admonished the tutor:
"Not so, small sage!
"This thing is just.
"For, look you,
"Are not they who possess the flowers
"Stronger, bolder, shrewder
"Than they who have none?
"Why should the strong—
"The beautiful strong—
"Why should they not have the flowers?

Upon reflection, the tutor bowed to the
     ground.
"My lord," he said,
"The stars are displaced
"By this towering wisdom."

Survival of the fittest.

 

We talked about this poem in class and we talked about religion in this poem. I think this poem is not directly about god but eludes to him. I think when the poem says my lord and father it is just saying the owner of the garden. I think this can be a metaphor for god and the world. The poet could be saying that the world is the garden and god is the owner. i like to think that it is that one that it is about god. I do not really know why. i guess because i like timeless poems that can be read forever. The religious part means that people will always look at this poem and it is a unifying theme in the poem that the past present and future can and have read that will always be understood. 

 

"Why should the strong—
"The beautiful strong—
"Why should they not have the flowers?"

"See this unjust thing in your garden!"
But when the father had surveyed,
He admonished the tutor:
"Not so, small sage!
"This thing is just.

I love these lines. Because it is beautiful and also applies to almost everyone. This 

line applies to everyone and esspecially people our age at this time in our lives. 

We are applying to college and the "Beautiful strong" will get in while the weak 

will not get to go where they want to college. the "stronger bolder and shreweder" 

have their choices in what to do with their lives. This is another theme that will 

always apply to people and make this poem timeless.

"My lord," he said,
"The stars are displaced
"By this towering wisdom."

I'm not sure i completely understand. I guess maybe that the idea that it is fair that 

the strong get more than the weak is such a big idea that the stars have to move to make 

room for this idea. I like that. I think the author is being sarcastic. And this line 

is saying that the owner of the garden thinks to highly of himself. That why should he 

have the power to say what is just and what is not just. Why should he be able to move

the stars to fit his ideas. If the author is using this as a comment on god then that 

is a huge statement. and probably a very controversial statement.

I like this poem not because of what it means. I like it because of the way it sounds.

Without putting any meaning to the words they sound beautiful together. The way 

they flow together is amazing and he is a great poet.