Published in 1913, Trees is a part of Joyce Kilmer’s collection Trees and Other Poems. The poem is a lyrical representation of on the beauty and majesty of trees. It reflects the poet’s respect for nature and his belief in its divine excellence. Born in 1886, Joyce Kilmer was an American poet, essayist, and journalist. His literary works are marked by his deep reverence for nature, spirituality, and the human experience.
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.