Poet Henry Cuyler Bunner paints a picture about trees and the gifts that they provide us.

In a very serene and simple

poem, he questions humanity regarding some tough issues.

*The repetition of a question is a poetic technique, known as Hypophora, employed by the poet to emphasize the
theme of the poem to his readers.
Hypophora or Anthypophora is a figure of speech in which the writer presents a question and then follows with an
answer. On the other, a Rhetorical question is a question where the answer is implied or not necessary.

The Heart of the Tree by Bunner

 Stanza 1
What does he plant who plants a tree?
He plants a friend of sun and sky;
He plants the flag of breezes free;
The shaft of beauty towering high;
He plants a home to heaven anigh;
For song and mother-croon of bird
In hushed and happy twilight heard—
The treble of heaven’s harmony—
These things he plants who plants a tree.

The poem starts with a simple question and that in the very next line the poet presents an answer. He answers that tree as they
grow become friends with the sun and the sky and so planting a tree is like making harmonious friends with other elements of
nature.
The poet then goes on to compare trees as flags flying freely in strong breezes like towering shafts of beauty and
strength. As the stem of a tree grows it resembles a formidable and majestic tower that reaches the sky.

As trees provide nesting space for birds so by planting trees we provide them home and in return hear their beautiful
songs of praise for nature and environment. We are captivated by the melodies the serenading birds at twilight.

The entire stanza emphasizes the benefits of the trees in providing overall harmony to nature which he compares to heavenly
peace. Bunner ascribes goodness to the act of planting trees.
 Stanza 2
What does he plant who plants a tree?
He plants cool shade and tender rain,
And seed and bud of days to be,
And years that fade and flush again;
He plants the glory of the plain;
He plants the forest’s heritage;
The harvest of a coming age;
The joy that unborn eyes shall see—
These things he plants who plants a tree.

The second stanza also starts with the same question and similarly it follows by the poet’s answer. Bunner says that
the trees give us with cool shades and soft rain to provide us relief from the unbearable heat of the sun.

He beautifully narrates the cycle of regrowth as the tree provides seed and bud which develop into new trees. This
process leaves an indelible imprint of nature. The poet further describes trees as ‘the glory of the plain’ meaning they
provide the plains with green and beauty.
He says if we plant a tree now it will blossom into a future forest which he calls a ‘heritage of forest’. He calls planting
trees today will ensure we have a “harvest for future age and people to come” which our future generation will benefit
from.
Bunner points to that fact that we have all these trees to admire only because people before us decided to plant trees
for the present age to reap the benefits from them. The poet implicitly makes an appeal to trees in order to make the
world a better place for future generations to come.

 Stanza 3
What does he plant who plants a tree?
He plants in sap and leaf and wood,
In love of home and loyalty
And far-cast thought of civic good—
His blessings on the neighborhood,
Who in the hollow of His hand
Holds all the growth of all our land—
A nation’s growth from sea to sea
Stirs in his heart who plants a tree.
Bunner equates planting trees to displaying your love and respect for your society and humanity. It serves a human being’s civic
responsibilities and duty towards the environment. By ‘sap and leaf and wood’ the poet illustrates that all these blessings are
present in every part of the tree.
The capitalized ‘His’ highlights that the planting of a tree shows a level of sensitivity and benevolence. It brings a level
of importance to the trees and their role in creating a prosperous future for mankind.
Planting a tree is part of building a nation and society and ensuring its progress from “sea to sea”. The thought behind
the act of planting a tree is truly good and progressive.
Key Thoughts
Henry Cuyler Bunner, thus, writes a unique appeal through his unconventional but simple poem, ‘The Heart of the
Tree’. The poem praises the satisfaction one gets in planting a tree. The various elements of nature like the sky, sun
and wind also are in true friendship with trees.
With shade and rain trees bring comfort to people and animals. Therefore, one who plants trees brings joy and
blessings to the neighborhood, society, and environment.
There is a strong relationship between men and trees and for our survival, we need to ensure that the trees keep
growing like beautiful towers that reach the sky.

The Heart of the Tree: About the poem

The Heart of the Tree by the American poet and novelist Henry Cuyler Bunner is a fine piece of poetry with a simple
theme and a simpler structure. The poem was originally published in 1912.
Planting a tree is always a great work for the mankind. But, the poet has found out new ways to look at the plants and plantation.
In his poem The Heart of the Tree he glorifies the act further, shows how a tree helps life on earth and says that it has a direct
connection to a nation’s growth.
All the three stanzas of the poem The Heart of the Tree starts with a refrain with the poet asking what the man
actually plants who plants a tree. Then he chooses to reply it by himself and shows what a tree means to the
humankind and to the nature, thus proving how great that man is.

The rhythm is amazing. The rhyme scheme is ABABBCCAA for each stanza. This is a deviation from the celebrated
Spenserian stanza, a nine line stanza with the scheme ABABBCBCC. Though the language is simple, careful wordings
makes the poem more expressive and obviously musical and attractive.

The Heart of the Tree: Line by line Explanation

First Stanza
What does he plant who plants a tree?
He plants a friend of sun and sky;

The poem opens with the refrain which asks “What does he plant who plants a tree?” and that sets the tone for the
entire poem. We instantly realize that the poet is going to explain the usefulness of planting a tree. However, the poet
himself answers by stating that the man plants a friend of sun and sky by planting a tree.
A plant grows upwards and aims to reach the sun and the sky. So it is as if the sun and the sky get a new friend in a
tree. Secondly, the tree needs sunlight and air to survive. And finally, the trees seem to absorb the heat and save the
earth from the scorching sun, giving an implication that the sun becomes friendly in the presence of the trees.

He plants the flag of breezes free;

The shaft of beauty towering high;

The speaker now adds that the man plants a flag that flies freely in the mild breeze. The poet here compares the leafy branches of
the tree to a flag and the stem to the beautiful shaft (pole) of the flag that stands tall.
He plants a home to heaven anigh;
For song and mother-croon of bird

By planting a tree the man plants a home for the sweet singing birds high in the sky, near the heaven. So, he keeps
the earth habitable for birds and helps in maintaining the eco-system.

In hushed and happy twilight heard—

The treble of heaven’s harmony—
These things he plants who plants a tree.

In quiet and happy twilight we can hear those birds chirping which is harmonious to heaven’s own tunes.

In the entire first stanza of The Heart of the Tree, the poet accentuates the importance of trees in maintaining the holistic beauty of
nature. Moreover, the use of words like ‘heaven anigh’, ‘heaven’s harmony’ and ‘towering high’ is aimed at giving an impression
that the work of planting a tree is indeed a heavenly and glorious deed.
The finishing line of the stanza forms a logical whole with the opening line, one asking a question and the other
completing the answer.

Second Stanza
What does he plant who plants a tree?
He plants cool shade and tender rain,

So, the poet repeats the question to begin a new stanza and attempts to answer again in the subsequent lines. The
tree he plants provides us with cool shade and helps in bringing rain.

And seed and bud of days to be,

And years that fade and flush again;

A tree will produce seed and bud in future. Years will pass silently but the tree will remain there through its seeds producing new
trees.
He plants the glory of the plain;
He plants the forest’s heritage;

Trees are the main elements that make a plain area green and beautiful. So the poet describes trees as ‘the glory of
the plain’. Moreover, today’s single tree may turn into a forest someday. So by planting a tree now the man plants a
‘forest’s heritage’.

The harvest of a coming age;

The joy that unborn eyes shall see—
These things he plants who plants a tree.

The speaker mentions that planting a tree today would give fruits in coming days. Our next generations would be
delighted seeing so much vegetation and reap its benefits. So all the credit goes to the man who plants a tree.
In this stanza of the poem The Heart of the Tree the poet stresses on the importance of planting a tree for making
this earth a better living place for future generations.

Third stanza
What does he plant who plants a tree?
He plants in sap and leaf and wood,
In love of home and loyalty
And far-cast thought of civic good—
His blessings on the neighbourhood,

By planting a tree the man shows his love and loyalty for this earth (his home), his sense of civic duty and his
blessings on the neighbourhood. All these are reflected in the ‘sap and leaf and wood’, in every cell of the tree.

Who in the hollow of His hand

Holds all the growth of all our land—
A nation’s growth from sea to sea
Stirs in his heart who plants a tree.

By planting a tree the man directly or indirectly contributes to the nation’s growth. When a tree is planted, it sets in
motion the progress of a nation from sea to sea. And all these start from the progressive thought in the man’s heart
who plants a tree.
The capitalization in ‘His’ indicates that the man who plants a tree is all-powerful and the destiny-maker of a nation.

This last line is very important as it talks about the man’s heart, his feelings, dreams and wishes behind planting the
tree. This also leads to the poem’s title ‘The Heart of the Tree’.
Thus the poet Henry Cuyler Bunner ends up composing an uncommon piece of poetry in ‘The Heart of the Tree’ out
of a common and cliché topic – the usefulness of planting a tree.

In the very beginning of the poem The Heart of The Tree, the poet poses a question to the readers asking why we plant trees
and then goes on to answer his own question. He says that when we plant a tree, we plant a friend of the sun and the sky. Trees
provide a cool breeze and absorb the sun’s heat. Trees grow tall to reach out to the sky. With the help of sunlight, trees carry
out the process of photosynthesis and maintain balance in the ecosystem. They share a special bond. It purifies the atmosphere
by taking in carbon-dioxide and by releasing oxygen. The poet compares a tree to a flag that flutters in the breeze and compares
the stem to a pole that stands tall and firm. Trees are the home to a number of birds. Trees provide birds a spot to sit and sing
their melodious songs. It seems like the trees have made a home for the birds that are closer to heaven.

Stanza 2

The poet repeats the same question and suggests more reasons to plant trees. He adds that trees provide cool shade and gentle
rain. A tree will produce seeds and buds for the future generation. Years will pass by and the old trees will wither away but the
seeds of today will produce new trees in the future. The poet calls the trees the “glory of the plain” as they make the land look
green and beautiful. One who plants a tree conserves the heritage of forests. The poet suggests that we plant trees not only for
ourselves but also for the future generations to come. Our future generations would be able to reap the benefits of planting
trees.

Stanza 3

In the final stanza, the poet poses the same question. According to the poet, a man who plants a tree does so because of his
loyalty towards his neighborhood, his family and the society. By planting a tree, he expresses his concern for the future of the
planet. The trees that he plants give food, wood, and sap to all human beings. The man who plants trees is given God-like
attributes as he takes care of the well-being of the people. By planting trees he initiates a step in the path of the progress of the
Nation. The capitalization of ‘H’ in the last stanza portrays the man who plants trees in a divine light as he contributes to making
the world a better place for himself and for others.

The Heart of The Tree Themes

Benefits of planting trees – The poet attempts to educate the readers about the importance of planting trees for our survival.
This poem The Heart of The Tree glorifies the act of planting trees and equates the man who does so with God-like attributes.
Trees do not only serve to beautify the nature but also provide a home for the birds and offer us cool shade. They are the
harbinger of rain and the source of cool breezes. They keep the environment balanced by taking in carbon dioxide and giving out
oxygen. Trees reduce pollution in the air. They never cease to exist as they continue the process of regeneration by shedding
seeds and leaves that give birth to new plants needed to maintain balance in the eco-system. Trees are important for the
survival of mankind as they not only bless the souls of today but provide our future generations with its harvest. Just like the
human heart helps in the proper functioning of the human body, trees, too, maintain the lives of birds, animals and human
beings on earth. The poet gives the message that we must plant new trees to ensure a harmonious and stable way of living for
us and for the generations to come.

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Importance of trees for a sustainable future – The poet says that when one plants trees today, he actually plants it for the
future progenies. He is concerned about the future of mother earth and, hence, fulfills his civic duty by showering his “blessings
on the neighborhood” in the form of plants. Trees are needed for the growth and development of the nation in general. We
cannot survive in a land with no trees. The poet, thus, appeals to the readers to plant more and more trees in order to prevent
the environment from degrading. We must plant trees keeping in mind the welfare of the “coming age”.

The Heart of The Tree Tone

The tone of the poem The Heart of The Tree is inspiring, straight-forward and educative. The poet is concerned about mother
earth and lays down different points to illustrate the usefulness of trees to protect the earth. He encourages everyone to plant
more trees, not only for themselves but also for the future generations. The survival of the future generations is greatly
dependant on our outlook to plant trees. Trees keep the environment stable by purifying the air, causing rain, offering cool
breeze and shade, providing food, wood, and medicines and by providing a home for the birds in the sky. The poet uses simple
words to deliver his message that tree plantation is no longer a hobby or a luxury but it is, indeed, a necessity for our survival.

The Heart of The Tree Central Idea

In this poem The Heart of The Tree, the poet highlights the importance of trees in our lives and inspires us to plant more trees.
He says that the trees not only beautify the environment but helps in the smooth functioning of the ecosystem. Planting trees
are crucial not only for our survival but also for the future generations. Without trees, the earth would be unsuitable for living as
trees are responsible for the growth and development of mankind. The poet is also concerned for the future of the earth which
must be made better by planting more trees. Trees are essential in every part of life-they give out oxygen for human beings to
inhale, they cause rain and offer food, timber, medicines and so on. This, it can be concluded that the central idea of this poem
is to make people aware of the importance of planting trees for us as well as for the future generations.