Go to Sleep, Darlings...
“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields
It covers them snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, Go to Sleep, Darlings, till the summer comes again.” Lewis Carroll
We originally had a Chicago Hackberry Tree in our front yard when we moved to Equinelle, unfortunately the tree was compromised.
Repeated hits of dog urine peeled the bark off the tree and caused an open wound susceptible to disease. Then, a windstorm hit last year and the tree snapped in half. It was too weak and diseased to fight the wind and died.
A new tree recently was planted in place of the Chicago Hackberry, a Burrr Oak, but the problem remains. Dogs are already favouriting the tree. It will not be long before even the oak, known to live up to 150-250 years, can survive the burns caused by dog urine.
I would love this little tree to grow to old age. One way I can help it grow is to make dog owners aware of the potential harm of dog urine to trees.
Please, pet owners out there, take care when walking your pet.
Below is an excerpt from : MERRILL DOG PARK
"It’s easy to think, “a little pee from my dog can’t do harm to a huge tree.” Next time you go for a walk with your dog think about it. Your dog “marks” the tree, then another dog walks by smells your dog’s scent and hits it again, a few minutes later and another dog walks by, hits it again. This goes on multiple times a day 365 days a year. Some trees are hit more than others and the cycle begins. One dog’s scent ends up on a tree and other dogs just keep marking it, over and over until the tree is compromised."
Fall, Leaves, Fall Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away; Lengthen night and shorten day; Every leaf speaks bliss to me Fluttering from the autumn tree.
I shall smile when wreaths of snow Blossom where the rose should grow; I shall sing when night's decay Ushers in a drearier day.
Analysis (ai): The poem "Fall, Leaves, Fall" by Emily Jane Bronte presents a distinct meditation on the changing seasons and the cyclical nature of life and death. The speaker accepts the passing of summer and the onset of autumn, finding solace in the beauty of the falling leaves and the promise of snow.
Compared to Bronte's other works, this poem is relatively concise and straightforward, lacking the complex symbolism and emotional intensity of her later poetry. Yet, it shares her themes of mortality, isolation, and the enduring power of nature, which would become central to her writing.
As a product of the Victorian era, the poem reflects the prevailing Romantic sensibility, which emphasized introspection, melancholy, and a fascination with the natural world. The speaker's acceptance of the changing seasons aligns with the Romantic belief in the inevitability of change and the beauty inherent in decay.
The poem's simple yet effective imagery creates a vivid picture of the transition from autumn to winter. The falling leaves and shortening day evoke a sense of loss and inevitability, while the promise of snow and the "drearier day" suggest both the passage of time and the potential for renewal.