Our Casuarina Tree Poem by Toru Dutt – Literary Poetic Devices

Our Casuarina Tree by Toru Dutt is poem that touches our heart the poet wishes to immortalize her love for her siblings and the time spent with then around a Casuarina Tree. Here, major poetic devices used in the poem have been described.


Our Casuarina Tree Poem

Poetic Devices: Casuarina Tree Poem

Here are the major poetic devices used in “Our Casuarina Tree” by Toru Dutt: These devices work together to create a rich, emotional, and evocative poem that captures the depth of the poet’s feelings and connections to the Casuarina tree.

  1. Rhyme: The poem consists of five stanzas of eleven lines each. Each stanza follows the rhyme scheme abbacddceee.
  2. Simile: The poet uses similes to compare one thing to another using “like” or “as.” For example, the creeper is compared to a “huge Python” to highlight how it wraps around the tree.
  3. Personification: The tree and other elements of nature are given human qualities. The tree is said to “lament,” and its “dirge-like murmur” suggests it has emotions like a human which deepens the reader’s connection.
  4. Imagery: The poem is filled with vivid imagery that appeals to the senses, like the “huge Python” creeper, “crimson clusters” of flowers, and the “dirge-like murmur” of the tree, which help create a strong visual and emotional connection.
  5. Auditory: kokilas hail the day
    • dirge-like murmur
    • sea breaking on a shingle-beach
  6. Allusion: The poem references other literary works or historical contexts, like the “deathless trees” in Borrowdale, which alludes to the ancient yew trees in England described by William Wordsworth.
  7. Metaphor: The poet employs metaphors to draw comparisons between two entities without the use of “like” or “as.” The Casuarina tree is metaphorically connected to the poet’s memories and feelings, symbolizing her bond with the past. The tree itself becomes a metaphor for remembrance, endurance, and the poet’s departed loved ones, signifying not merely a tree but the poignant bonds to bygone days.
  8. Symbolism: The Casuarina tree itself is a powerful symbol in the poem. It represents memory, childhood, and the enduring connection between the poet and her lost loved ones. It also represents themes of loss, love, and the passage of time.
  9. Alliteration: The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words adds rhythm and musicality to the poem, like in “round and round”, “summit near the stars” and “sweet song that seems” etc.
  10. Repetition: Certain words and phrases are repeated for emphasis, such as “round and round”, “oh fain” and “fain rehearse,” which underscore the poet’s earnest desire to honour the tree.
  11. Enjambment: This is the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line or stanza, creating a smooth flow of thoughts, like in the lines “With one sweet song that seems to have no close, / Sung darkling from our tree, while men repose.”
  12. Tone: While not a poetic device in the traditional sense, the tone is essential. The tone of the poem is a mix of nostalgia, reverence, melancholy, and hope, enhancing the emotional impact of the poem.
  13. Allusion: The reference to “deathless trees—like those in Borrowdale” alludes to Wordsworth’s famous description of yew trees, connecting the poem to a broader literary context of enduring nature.

These devices work together to create a rich, emotional, and vivid poem that explores deep themes of memory, loss, and the enduring power of nature.


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