The Full Text of “Loveliest of Trees”
1Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
2Is hung with bloom along the bough,
3And stands about the woodland ride
4Wearing white for Eastertide.
5Now, of my threescore years and ten,
6Twenty will not come again,
7And take from seventy springs a score,
8It only leaves me fifty more.
9And since to look at things in bloom
10Fifty springs are little room,
11About the woodlands I will go
12To see the cherry hung with snow.
The Full Text of “Loveliest of Trees”
1Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
2Is hung with bloom along the bough,
3And stands about the woodland ride
4Wearing white for Eastertide.
5Now, of my threescore years and ten,
6Twenty will not come again,
7And take from seventy springs a score,
8It only leaves me fifty more.
9And since to look at things in bloom
10Fifty springs are little room,
11About the woodlands I will go
12To see the cherry hung with snow.
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“Loveliest of Trees” Introduction
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"Loveliest of Trees" is a poem by the British writer A. E. Housman, published in his popular first collection A Shropshire Lad (1896). The poem reflects on the fleeting beauty of nature as well as human mortality. The poem's speaker, a young man of 20, estimates that he's got only 50 more years to live—and thus only 50 more springs in which to see the glorious cherry tree in full bloom. The idea that a lifetime offers hardly enough "room" to take in all the beauty of the natural world doesn't make the speaker despair, however. Instead, the speaker resolves to seize the day and go for a walk in order to appreciate the wonders of the world while he still can.
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“Loveliest of Trees” Summary
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The most beautiful tree of all, the cherry is currently covered with blossoms along its branches. It grows along the path through the woods, its white flowers making it look like it has dressed up for Easter.
Now, of my 70 years of life, 20 have already passed. And if you deduct from the 70 years those 20 years I've already lived, I've only got 50 years of life left.
And since 50 springs are hardly enough time to take in nature in bloom, I'll head off into the woods now in order to see the cherry trees covered with their snow-white blossoms.
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“Loveliest of Trees” Themes
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The Fleeting Beauty of Life
The sight of newly blossomed cherry trees pushes the speaker of "Loveliest of Trees" to reflect on both the beauty of nature and the brevity of human life. The speaker knows that the delicate blossoms of spring won't last forever; likewise, the speaker himself will eventually grow old day die. As such, the speaker feels he better get outside and appreciate the "loveliest of trees"—and, implicitly, his own youth—while he still can. In short, he should seize the day!
The speaker's descriptions of the cherry tree relay the fresh, delicate beauty of the natural world. The tree stands "about the woodland ride" (that is, a walkway in the woods) covered with pretty white blossoms. It's as though the tree is dressed in its Easter best, imploring the speaker to come outside and celebrate with it.
The specific color of the cherry tree's flowers connotes youth and purity as well, further linking the trees to the speaker himself: only 20, the speaker is still in the early "bloom" of his own life. And yet, though young, the speaker is keenly aware that life won't last forever—and that he thus has limited time to take in the beauty that surrounds him. The speaker supposes he'll live to be 70 or so, a.k.a. "threescore years and ten." Even though he's only 20, then, he's already experienced almost a third of all the springs he'll ever see! He has only 50 or so springs to go—"little room," or insufficient time, to "look at things in bloom." In other words, even a lifetime is nowhere near long enough to fully appreciate the beauty of the world.
This thought of looming mortality and loss doesn’t make the speaker wallow in despair, however. Instead, the speaker decides to squeeze every drop of magic out of life before it's over—and he starts by heading out into the woods. Life is short, but the speaker believes that's all the more reason to open up the front door, take a breath of that cool spring air, and go for a walk among the trees.
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Loveliest of Trees”
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Lines 1-2
Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
Is hung with bloom along the bough,In the poem's first quatrain (four-line stanza), the speaker makes it clear that spring has officially arrived. The cherry tree, which the speaker believes is the most beautiful tree around, is in bloom, its branches "hung" with pretty white blossoms. That passive verb, "hung," as though nature itself has decorated the tree to celebrate the season.
The poem's syntax (that is, word order) emphasizes the cherry tree's splendor, placing its loveliness right up front:
Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
Note, too, how enjambment calls readers' attention to the word "now" and creates immediate anticipation and excitement. This is a poem about seizing the day, and "now" firmly sets it in the present moment.
Pretty-sounding alliteration ("bloom," "bough") and consonance ("hung," "along"; "loveliest," "bloom," "along") bring the lines' imagery to life. These sounds chime harmoniously, creating sonic beauty to mirror the visual beauty of the cherry tree.
These lines also establish the poem's meter. "Loveliest of Trees" uses iambic tetrameter throughout, with some variations. Iambs are metrical feet with an unstressed-stressed syllable pattern (da-DUM), and tetrameter just means there are four of them in each line. Note, though, how the first line immediately breaks this pattern:
Loveliest | of trees, | the cher- | ry now
Is hung | with bloom | along | the bough,The poem starts with a dactyl—a trisyllabic foot that goes stressed-unstressed-unstressed (DUM-da-da). The first line thus starts with a metrical "spring" in its step!
Note, too, that the poem uses rhyming couplets throughout. The clear rhyme of "now" and "bough" adds to the poem's sonic beauty.
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Lines 3-4
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide. -
Lines 5-8
Now, of my threescore years and ten,
Twenty will not come again,
And take from seventy springs a score,
It only leaves me fifty more. -
Lines 9-12
And since to look at things in bloom
Fifty springs are little room,
About the woodlands I will go
To see the cherry hung with snow.
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“Loveliest of Trees” Symbols
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The Cherry Tree
The cherry tree symbolizes the majesty of the natural world as well as the fleeting beauty and freshness of youth. Cherry trees bloom in the spring, a season linked with rebirth and renewal. Notice, too, that the speaker says the tree is "Wearing white for Eastertide," a time of year associated with Christ's resurrection. The tree's white blossoms connote purity, as though they're yet to be sullied by the drudgery of the world. And in a way, the tree is also a symbol for the speaker himself: just 20, he, too, is in the "spring" of life.
That life, the speaker knows, won't last forever—nor will the tree's blooms. Those snowy-white blossoms might be adorning its branches right "now," but they won't be there for long; soon enough the petals will fall. Likewise, the speaker will one day grow old and die. The tree thus further represents the brevity of life in general. The sight of it reminds the speaker just how much beauty there is to see in the world, and just how little time he has to take it all in.
- See where this symbol appears in the poem.
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“Loveliest of Trees” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Alliteration
"Loveliest of Trees" is filled with musical alliteration, which keeps the poem's tone light-hearted and also helps to convey the beauty of the cherry tree itself. One might think of the poem's sound patterning as the poetic equivalent to blossoms on a tree; the shared sounds decorate lines of poetry much like white blossoms decorate the cherry tree's "bough." Take the two /b/ sounds in line 2, for example:
Is hung with bloom along the bough,
These bouncy sounds add immediate music to the poem, aided by the lush /l/ consonance of "bloom" and "along." The soft, breezy /w/ alliteration of lines 3 and 4 adds yet more sonic loveliness:
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide.This alliteration also calls readers' attention to an important image. The speaker is personifying the cherry tree, describing it as though it has gotten dressed up for Easter. The mention of "white" and "Eastertide" links the tree with purity and Jesus's resurrection. The tree seems almost holy as it beckons to the speaker to come outside and celebrate the season.
In the next stanza, the hushed sibilance "seventy springs a score" subtly evokes the swift passage of time, those /s/ sounds smooth and slippery. Similarly, the quiet /s/ sounds of "See" and "snow" in the poem's final line convey the tree's soft, delicate beauty.
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Enjambment
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Imagery
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Personification
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"Loveliest of Trees" Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- The Cherry
- Hung with bloom
- Woodland ride
- Eastertide
- Threescore years and ten
- A score
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That is, the cherry tree, which blooms in spring.
- See where this vocabulary word appears in the poem.
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Loveliest of Trees”
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Form
"Loveliest of Trees" consists of three quatrains (four-line stanzas). Those quatrains can also be broken up into six rhyming couplets. Add in a steady iambic meter, and the poem feels bright and bouncy throughout. The poem's simple, musical form also helps to convey the speaker's own clarity of mind. He might be acknowledging his own mortality, but it sure doesn't sound like the thought of death hasn't gotten him down. Instead, he comes across as clear-eyed and sure-footed as he declares his intention to "go / To see the cherry hung with snow."
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Meter
"Loveliest of Trees" uses iambic tetrameter, with some variations. A line of iambic tetrameter contains four feet poetic feet known as iambs, each of which follows an unstressed-stressed (da-DUM) syllable pattern. Take lines lines 2 and 3:
Is hung | with bloom | along | the bough,
And stands | about | the wood- | land rideIambs create a steady forward momentum sometimes likened to a heartbeat or footsteps, which seems appropriate for a poem about seizing the day and going for a walk in the woods!
Note, though, that the poem starts with a variation:
Loveliest | of trees, | the cher- | ry now
The first foot here swaps out an iamb for a dactyl: stressed-unstressed-unstressed (DUM-da-da). This sounds bouncy and energetic, mirroring the speaker's enthusiasm for the cherry tree. The poem starts with a little "spring" in its metrical step.
Elsewhere, the poem sometimes skips the first unstressed syllable altogether. This technique is called catalexis, and it appears in lines 4, 6, and 10:
Wear- | ing white | for East- | ertide.
[...]
Twen- | ty will | not come | again,
[...]
Fif- | ty springs | are litt-| le room,
Trimming these lines subtly reflects both the speaker's excitement and his preoccupation with his own mortality. The amount of time he has left on this planet diminishes with every second; like these lines, his future only becomes shorter. Catalexis makes the poem sound all the more urgent in its call to go outside and appreciate the beauty of the world.
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Rhyme Scheme
"Loveliest of Trees" uses rhyming couplets throughout, creating a rhyme scheme of AABB CCDD EEFF. These rhymes are all full and satisfying on the ear. Their pleasant chime complements the cherry tree's simple beauty. In filling the poem with music, they also keep its tone feeling light and joyful. The speaker might be thinking about death, but he certainly doesn't sound upset!
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“Loveliest of Trees” Speaker
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"Loveliest of Trees" appears in a collection called A Shropshire Lad, so readers can assume that the poem's speaker is a young man from the English county of Shropshire. (The poem itself, however, never reveals any identifying details about the speaker apart from his age.)
The speaker clearly has a zest for life and an appreciation for nature's beauty. Even though the speaker is just 20 years old, he's keenly aware of his own mortality. He reckons he'll live to around 70 (or "threescore years and ten"). To him, 50 years is hardly enough time to appreciate the beauties of the natural world. He thus resolves to seize the day by going outside to "see the cherry hung with snow."
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“Loveliest of Trees” Setting
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"Loveliest of Trees" takes place in the spring, presumably in England (this poem appears in a book called A Shropshire Lad, and Shropshire is an English county that borders Wales). The beautiful cherry tree is in bloom, its branches decked out with white blossoms that appear for only a few weeks a year. The speaker also says that it's Eastertide, a period that commemorates Christ's resurrection and adds to the setting's symbolism: this is a time of rebirth and renewal. The cherry tree looks like it's "Wearing white" as part of the Easter celebrations, as though it has dressed up for the occasion.
All these details add to the sense that this is a very special moment in time indeed, one that the speaker would do well to appreciate. The blossoms won't last forever, and the speaker has a limited number of "springs" left to take in their beauty. The setting reminds the speaker that he's mortal, and that, even though he's young, life itself is short. With that in mind, he ends the poem and goes for a walk.
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Literary and Historical Context of “Loveliest of Trees”
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Literary Context
"Loveliest of Trees" was first published in A. E. Housman's 1896 collection A Shropshire Lad. The collection's 63 poems revolve around themes of death, time, and the fleeting nature of youth, with many featuring a much more pessimistic outlook than that presented by the speaker of "Loveliest of Trees." Though initially rejected by publishers and not an immediate success, the collection's link to an ideal of "Englishness" ("Shropshire" is an English county) made it a hit a few years after its release. The collection also valorizes soldiers, which eventually helped lead to its popularity throughout Britain during the Boer War as well as World War I.
A Shropshire Lad has inspired both praise and condemnation, and Housman remains a poet whose literary reputation is up for debate. For some, he's a sensitive soul whose poetry captures a particular sense of place. For others, he's a fusty writer with an almost adolescent way of looking at the world. Ezra Pound, the famous modernist, once characterized Housman's poetry as "woe, etc."
In its praise of the beauty of nature, A Shropshire Lad continues the tradition of earlier Romantic poets. Housman's use of simple meter and rhyme, meanwhile, echoes that of other Victorian poets like Lord Tennyson and Robert Browning.
Historical Context
Housman published A Shropshire Lad in 1896. This places it at the tail-end of the Victorian era, a time during which Britain extended the reach of its empire around the world and made significant developments in transportation and infrastructure. This was also a period of strict morals and religiosity on the one hand and scientific challenges to the accepted dogma on the other; geological discoveries and Darwin's theories of evolution led to a crisis of faith as many questioned the biblical account of the world's creation. The speaker of the poems in A Shropshire Lad finds no solace in religion, instead seeing the universe as hostile to humanity.
Housman was in his thirties when he published A Shropshire Lad and insisted that the poems were not overtly biographical. "I was born in Worcestershire, not Shropshire, where I have never spent much time," he wrote in a later letter. The poems' outlook, Housman also said, stemmed from his "observation of the world."
Housman reportedly had young male readers in mind when he wrote the collection, which grew in popularity after Britain began fighting the Boer War. This was a conflict that took place in what is now referred to as South Africa from 1899-1902. It was euphemistically called "The Last of the Gentleman's Wars," but it was anything but; casualties amounted to 60,000 people. The collection's themes of Britishness, youth, death, and nostalgia resonated even more strongly at the onset of World War I; the book was taken by many British soldiers into that conflict.
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More “Loveliest of Trees” Resources
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External Resources
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A Shropshire Lad — Check out the popular collection in which "Loveliest of Trees" was published.
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Housman's Life and Work — Learn more about Housman in this biography from the Poetry Foundation.
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The Invention of Love — Watch a clip from a play by Tom Stoppard, which imagines A. E. Housman visiting the classical underworld.
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The Poem Out Loud — Listen to "Loveliest of Trees" read aloud by actor Arthur Darvill.
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LitCharts on Other Poems by A. E. Housman
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