Imagery and symbolism in Binsey Poplars

The aspect of the trees' beauty that particularly fascinates Hopkins is the interplay of light and shadow in breeze and sun. The branches are like ‘airy cages' trapping the sunbeams in their leaves, thus causing Poplars felled, photo by Zorba the Geek, available through Creative Commonsdappled shadows, ‘sandalled / Shadow'. He also notes the fineness and delicacy of the trees' features: strength and delicacy combined. But, in stanza two, this points to the fragility of the trees. Like the human eye, where even a pinprick can blind us, so here: ‘ten or twelve' axe-strokes destroy the trees for ever. ‘Only ten or twelve' he repeats forlornly: so long to grow, so delicate, and yet so abruptly and quickly to be chopped down. Fortunately, trees do grow again, and there are some poplars still to be seen at Binsey, hopefully under preservation orders.

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