Assignment on Imagery in Poetry PDF

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Exploring imagery using The Banyan Tree by Rabindranath Tagore (poem)...

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Ashlee Abrahams-Fitzgerald Student Number: 1611269

Assignment Two: Imagery

The image of the tree in The Banyan Tree by Rabindranath Tagore is one that shows an appreciation for nature as it describes the tree as being a comforting source of sustenance. However, there is somewhat obscure imagery in the poem that suggests a darker tone. Appealing aspects of this image are the branches that have been “nested” (Tagore 3) in by birds, and the way the “shaggy-headed” (Tagore 1) tree is “standing” (Tagore 1) on the pond’s bank. These descriptions imply that the tree is strong, as it stands alone, but is bustling with life and welcomes the creatures that enter its foliage. It also provides shade for the women who fill their jugs beneath its leafy greenery; this again advocates that the banyan tree provides for the life forms that surround it. This image is somewhat distorted, as opposed to being truly appealing, because the tree’s shade is described as being a “huge black shadow” (Tagore 7) that “would wriggle” (Tagore 7). I believe this portrayal, along with the mention of the “tangle of your roots” (Tagore 5); express the uncontrollable and wild element of the nature, and the tree itself. This depiction implies that although the tree is welcoming now - it has an unpredictable existence. The banyan tree is ultimately depicted as an appealing image as the boy still wishes to transcend his own existence in order to encounter the tree in a way that would be magical, by becoming its “shadow” (Tagore 14) or by blowing through its “rustling branches” (Tagore 13).

List of References: Tagore, Rabindranath. The Banyan Tree. 1913. Web. 22 February 2017. https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-banyan-tree/...