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Question: Analyse the poem Mulberry in Spring by Geoffrey Harensnape. Climbing a propped-up ladder, I’m daunted by the tree’s springing and spreading. Its topmost, tapering poles are bare; but the sap still flows along its horizontal limbs to feed the scale-like leaves; some red; some green. I call to my sons: ‘Can I please have some help here?’ They emerge from the garage armed like knights. Bush-saws and the fat-beaked secateurs will be good weapons for their purposes. Each toppling branch will own their sway. Back on the ground, I watch the brothers climb, assess the weights of wood, prepare to fell. Two persevering princes on a quest, they break the hydra’s hegemonic hold upon this corner of our garden plot. Absorbed in battle, they use up the day. Only I remember the delicate seedling I planted here to feed their silkworms. This tree was once at risk to mandibles of dragons long since tombed in silken cells.
"Mulberry in Spring" by Geoffrey Harensnape is a deeply evocative and richly detailed poem that uses the natural world as a metaphor for life and its various transitions, challenges, and triumphs. The poem is about a speaker climbing a mulberry tree in spring. The tree, which symbolizes life, growth, and change, is described as "springing and spreading." This signifies the explosive growth and dynamic expansion of life. The speaker calls to his sons for help, reflecting the necessity of familial cooperation and generative relationships in life. His sons arrive, equipped with tools, suggesting preparation, readiness for challenges, and the willingness to put in work and effort. The theme of conflict emerges as they confront the 'hydra,' symbolic of the multi-headed challenges life throws at us. Yet, there is perseverance, determination, and a warrior-like spirit that emerges as they claim dominance over each "branch," perhaps metaphoric instances of life struggles they overcome together. The reference to the tree's history as a seedling draws attention to the process of growth and change. The speaker links their own past - the planting of the seed for their silkworms - to the present moment, creating a continuity of the personal and the historical. Finally, the tree, once a mere food source for silkworms (comparatively small and insignificant creatures), is now a formidable force that two young men are struggling to conquer; this shift reinforces the transformative nature of growth. Hence, the strongest themes include family, growth, transformation, struggle, cooperation, and memory. The use of a rich mix of imagery, personification, and symbolism adds depth, making the scene and the emotions associated with it palpable to the reader. The poem is an exquisite representation of life's cycles, challenges, triumphs, and the eternal bond of family.
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