Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Presence of the Yew Tree in "All Alone"
Throughout Mary Robinson's poem "All Alone", I noticed the amount of imagery used throughout the work. In particular, I noticed the presence of the yew tree and how it is mentioned twice in this poem. This brought to mind the question, what is the significance of the yew tree and what does it symbolize in this particular piece of poetry?
Traditionally, the yew tree is noted to having a "longstanding relationship with man-kind" according to Davies, (who wrote "The Iconography of Landscape") and they typically grow in church yards. As seen in line 33, "And still, the yew-tree shades amoung, I heard thee sigh thy artless woe," while the child is sitting in front of his mother's tomb stone. The yew tree appears again in line 64 and also includes the moon. In class, we discussed that the image and appearance of the moon is a staple of gothic literature and gothic works. Is the appearance of the moon and how it "peeps through the yew-trees shadowy row" more impactful than just saying that the moon is shining through the branches of a tree?
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In regards to the yew tree, I think the significance can be interpreted in many ways. One example is the celtic symbolisim for the yew tree. They believed this tree symbolized a loner or loneliness. The poem makes many references to “alone” that tie into this concept well. Also, the shape and dark twisting branches referenced the supernatural to the Celtics. The feeling of being alone and the supernatural are critical characteristics of the gothic. It seems fitting Mary Robinson would use a yew tree in this poem.
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