Bara Howes' "Looking Up at Leaves"
The awesome beauty and wonder of nature are the focal point of Barbara Howes' poem, "Looking Up at Leaves." Howes employs the literary techniques of imagery, metaphor, simile, and symbolism to express her appreciation for nature. This paper will examine how Howes illustrates her talent as a stylist.
The poem begins by including humankind as a part of nature that is surrounded by the company of trees. She tells us that we have no reason to feel alone when we are in the presence of trees. This statement personifies trees, giving them the human quality of keeping company. This theme remains dominant throughout the poem, which the poet extends to the leaves as well.
For example, the poet tells us the leaves have "depth" (2) and even though they beckon us, we also sense withdrawal from them as well. With this image we can envision the leaves swaying in the breeze. The poet also gives us a fantastic image of the leaves in the sky when she describes their, "fragile tumult on the way to the sky" (3). From this image we know that the wind carries them up and around before releasing them so that they actually begin to fall to the earth.
Additionally, we are also told that the leaves "fall, rise, waver" (6) on their descent to the pond. This is a perfect image of how leaves move about in the air as the fall to the ground. Seldom...
They move in a way that resembles hesitation and the poet captures this action perfectly. The poet uses a metaphor when she tells us that the leaves' reflections echo on the water. We are also told that they "whisper under the sun" (7). This is a wonderful way to describe the sights and sounds of the leaves on the water and in the wind.
Another powerful metaphor the poet employs in this poem involves her description the roots of the tree. We are told that the "lily roots" search down through the soil. The roots are tough, yet they are lily. In other words, the are delicate, yet they are strong enough to survive the harsh elements of nature. This is a powerful image of the beauty of nature that the poet wishes to express. She is also careful to introduce the element of human hands touching the soil when she envisions the "brown/Tough roots" (8). In addition, she contrasts the leaves "whispering under the sun" (7) to her experience "while in this shade" (8). These images serve to remind us that we are only spectators when it comes to observing aspects of nature.
It is also interesting to note that the poet uses the metaphor of "pool" when describing the pond and the earth. In this way, she is connecting the two "hemispheres" (4) that the trees hold apart. By describing the leaves belonging to the wide-open sky and the roots reaching "down…
