Fallen Tree

Posted bySarahPosted inArt, PhotographyTags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

img_0878
Fallen tree, near Wannsee, Berlin

 

Although this tree, stripped entirely of its bark, no longer lies across the road that you can glimpse in the upper left corner, it reminded me on this poem by Robert Frost.

 

On a Tree Fallen Across the Road

 

The Tree the tempest with a crash of wood

Throws down in front of us is not to bar

Our passage to our journey´s end for good,

But just to ask us who we think we are.

 

Insisting always on our own way so,

She likes to halt us in our runner tracks,

And make us get down in a foot of snow

Debating what to do without an axe.

 

And yet she knows obstruction is in vain:

We will not be put off the final goal

We have it hidden in us to attain,

Not though we have to seize earth by the pole

 

And, tired of aimless circling in one place,

Steer straight off after something into space.

Published by Sarah

Artist & Illustrator

50 thoughts on “Fallen Tree”

  3. This makes the post very nicely put together, art through the lovely photograph and words by Robert Frost in a lesser know poem. I appreciate this since he tend to add a little humor in his words. As if to say, “We can get out of this mess, by going around the fallen tree!” 🙂 It amuses me in his Road Not Taken poem how he says he can always come back and take the other road! 🙂
    Hugs and kisses to my sweet Sarah friend xo

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    1. Thank you very much, Robin! He did have a lovely way with words, didn’t´t he? I also like his humorous undertones that are slightly hidden beneath the surface.
      His Road not Taken is also one of my favorites though I always wonder why so many people don´t really understand its true meaning…
      Hugs&Kisses to you too, sweet Robin! 🙂 xxxxxx

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      1. This was such a great dialogue between us, Sarah. I miss discourse and discussions! I will be busy at work and next weekend, 4 days from now, heading to see my Mom. If I get a chance I will come back before Sunday to visit your posts. Thanks for your thoughtful responses. You are a sweet person and I enjoy this. 🙂 xoxo ❤

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      3. I was hoping the conversation was pleasant on your side, too. I hope you will have a great rest of the week, dear. 🙂 ❤
        My Mom was moved from the hospital to the skilled nursing area where she'll rest, get her therapies and my brothers will visit. I will head up on Friday after work. 🙂 It takes a little under 3 hours. . . Sending you hugs back! xoxo

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      4. I´m glad your mom is getting such good care and receiving therapies to help her get better! Pneumonia is so serious. I´m sure she looks already forward to your visit on Friday!! What a long ride you´ll have… take some good coffee with you and take care, dear Robin! Huge hugs!!! 🙂 xoxoxoxo

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  8. Lovely photo Sarah. I like how the sepia treatment encourages us to see the mass of the tree. I didn’t know the Frost poem, but then I had to “do” Frost for high school English one year with a very boring teacher, and I have tended to avoid all the poets he forced on us. Maybe it’s time to revisit! Have a great weekend. xxxx

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    1. Thank you, Su! That´s exactly what I thought about using sepia in this one!! 🙂
      And I know what you mean, when one has been tortured to “enjoy” certain authors in school, on tends not to be able to abide them afterwards. I´ve experienced it a lot, and it has also been the reason why I didn’t study German literature although I majored in it at school. The tediousness and horrors of tearing apart all the beautiful pieces until I didn’t like them at all was enough to make me choose a different path. I fear that´s also what happens a lot with Shakespeare in the English speaking world, doesn’t it? It´s a shame really. But I understand it because I feel the same way about the german national literature hero Goethe 😉 But I hope you can give Frost another try, he´s actually not that bad 😉 And I´m sure there´s still a lot of his poetry left that your teacher missed out… xxxx

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      1. That’s so true! Isn’t it terrible the way school can destroy our love of literature! I had one teacher who took a totally different approach and instead of dissecting books and poems, he tantalised us with little snippets. The authors he introduced me to are still favourites after all these years.

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      2. Yay for good teachers! They’re like diamonds in a beach of falsely glittering swarowski stones! I had one good teacher in German and he was the only one believing in my abilities of interpretation. I still remember his name and how he looked 😄

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      3. That’s a lovely description! And so true. I had four really good teachers at school and feel very lucky for that, although three of them were subject teachers in the same year, so I must have gone through most of my schooling being blinded by fake bling!

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      4. I also had four great teachers! Luckily they were distributed quite evenly over the years 😉 One even teached maths which I really couldn’t stand but he was so good that even I got it in the end and received my first ever B in that subject!! Unfortunately we only had him for a year and my maths grades went downhill after that again 😉 At university I also had some good professors, but also quite a lot bad ones. But there I could at least get rid of them after a semester 😉

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  10. A lovely picture and post, Sarah. 🙂 I don’t know the poem but then I only became acquainted with Frost recently, thanks to Christy B’s Poetic Parfait blog; Out Out and The Road Not Taken. I really must find the time to delve deeper into his works. Thanks to you, I’ve made a start! So I can overcome obstructions, Frost was spot on! 🙂

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    1. Thank you very much, Phil! 🙂 And I´m delighted to have also triggered your wish to get more acquainted with Frost´s oeuvre. There´re lots of beautiful poems waiting for you! And not only the ones that everyone seems to be able to quote, but more hidden treasures as well! Wish you a perfect weekend! 🙂

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