The Poplar Field – W. Cowper

W. Cowper is a romantic poet. Like his other literary works, this is also a romantic poem representing nature. He describes the difference in the environment and natural beauty before and after the poplar trees are fallen down. With example of poplar trees, the poet wants to show the real phase of human life according to rule of nature.

The poplars are cut down which used to grow along the Ouse River. The river doesn’t reflect the beautiful shadows of these trees. The musical environment has been ruined now. The leaves don’t blow the air and sing a song in happy mood. There are also no shades. These trees were once in the field but now they have become seats. Not only the environment has been ruined but there is also destruction of the blackbird’s habitat. The bird used to add charm in that beautiful environment by its different types of melodious songs. It has transferred its nest to the hazel trees to get shelter and shade.

The poet thinks that his days too are passing away fast and should be lying down like those poplars. He thinks that he will be in the tomb before such grove will grow again. Such scenes make him think deeply about human lives. He understands that trees are perishable like the woods. Such events inspire him to think about the perishable nature of human joys and our enjoyment is short when our lives are so short. Man is the most perishable thing in the world and will live shorter than now in the future.

The poem deals with the personal feeling according to the principle of romanticism. Romantic writers don’t write care the common interest so they express their personal emotions using singular pronoun ‘I’. So, in this poem we see the first person instead of others. Personal approach makes the expression stronger and powerful.

The poem compares the life cycle of poplar and the human life. Poplar grows up; it produces branches, leaves, etc. it makes shades and pillars. It lies down and perishes in the ground. Our lives also grow and perish. Human life is also similar to the natural life. However, the life of nature or tree passes through time. The human life is also the same. So, our enjoyment goes away from the life. As human life is not certain, we should live our life, every moment of life enjoying a lot and with great happiness. We cannot take these enjoyable moments with us after our death. We can take only the physical body, which we get from the nature. Our pleasures and enjoyments all die before our death.

The poem is remarkable for its celebration of the rural and its nostalgic tone. (Nostalgic poems are reminiscences of past life of a writer, is also part of autobiography). The poet recollects the scene of the poplar trees, which he used to enjoy the whispering sound of the tree columns. Winds used to play and sing in the leaves. Rivers reflect the image of the trees beautifully. Birds have shifted to other places. Melody has disappeared. Now he has no pleasures in these poplar trees. After 12 years he sees the field and feels everything dead by depletion.

The poet has given indirect suggestion to the readers to protect the natural vegetation. He warns us that if we won’t protect the green forests now only, we will die before age. We should understand that we are living in this world just due to nature. We are just the products of nature and one day we have to surrender ourselves in the lap of nature. The poet has written this poem in defense of natural conservation because he thinks that we get some important human aspects from the trees. The poplars represent the forest. When we preserve the trees we can get shades and pillars for houses. Birds live there and they sing some melodious songs, which make our lives joyful. The poet compares the tree with human life and says our lives are more perishable than the trees. We are destroyed by the nature. So we should defend the nature.

Questions Answers:

1. Summary of the poem.

The poem “The Poplar Field” is about natural conservation. Through this poem, he wants to give message that it is not good to chop down trees. But, it’s not only that. It also compares the chopping down of trees to a man’s life and death. From this point of view, this poem is also philosophical.

This poem starts with the description of a forest and the changes that have come after the trees are cut down. With the trees, all the attractions of the place have gone. Neither there is the shade nor there is the sweet music of birds nor is even the wind playing there. Then the poet says that he will die very soon but before his death certainly a new jungle will not take place instead of trees that have cut down. He says that the pleasures of man are not permanent or not long lasting. Rather, they are shorter than the short human life. They finish before a man dies. To sum up, the poet means to say that he used to get maximum amount of pleasure from the poplar trees but his pleasure has been snatched away from him.

2. Consider the poem “The Poplar Field” as a defense of nature conservation.

This poem is a defense of nature conservation. The poet’s message is that trees shouldn’t be cut down recklessly. Trees are very necessary for human beings. They are important natural resources. They shouldn’t be misused. The poet also says that though we can plant trees, but they don’t grow as fast as the trees are being cut down in the present time. So, he says that he can’t see such a jungle being replanted and grown up before his death.