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Poem
November 28, 1800
The National Intelligencer And Washington Advertiser
Washington, District Of Columbia
What is this article about?
A beech tree pleads with a woodman to spare it from being cut, despite its barrenness, invoking memories of childhood hours spent in its shade and lovers carving vows on its trunk over twenty summers and winters.
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OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
BY THOMAS CAMPBELL,
Author of "The Pleasures of Hope."
Oh, leave this barren spot to me!
Spare, Woodman, spare the BEECHEN
TREE!
Tho' Bush or Flow'ret never grow
My dark unwarming Shades below;
Nor summer bud perfume the dew,
Of rosy blush or yellow hue:
Nor fruits of autumn, bloom-born,
My green and glossy leaves adorn;
Nor murm'ring tribes from me derive
Th' ambrosial amber of the hive;
Yet leave this barren spot to me—
Spare, Woodman, spare the BEECHEN
TREE!
Thrice twenty summers I have seen
The sky grow bright, the forest green,
And many a winter I have stood
In bloomless, fruitless solitude,
Since childhood, in my pleasant bower,
First spent its sweet and pensive hour—
Since youthful lovers in my shade
Their vows of truth and rapture paid,
And on my trunk's surviving frame
Carve many a long forgotten name.
Oh, by the sighs of gentle sound
First breath'd upon the sacred ground—
By all that Love hath whisper'd here,
Or BEAUTY heard with ravish'd ear,
As love's own altar, honor me—
And spare, oh, spare the BEECHEN TREE!
Author of "The Pleasures of Hope."
Oh, leave this barren spot to me!
Spare, Woodman, spare the BEECHEN
TREE!
Tho' Bush or Flow'ret never grow
My dark unwarming Shades below;
Nor summer bud perfume the dew,
Of rosy blush or yellow hue:
Nor fruits of autumn, bloom-born,
My green and glossy leaves adorn;
Nor murm'ring tribes from me derive
Th' ambrosial amber of the hive;
Yet leave this barren spot to me—
Spare, Woodman, spare the BEECHEN
TREE!
Thrice twenty summers I have seen
The sky grow bright, the forest green,
And many a winter I have stood
In bloomless, fruitless solitude,
Since childhood, in my pleasant bower,
First spent its sweet and pensive hour—
Since youthful lovers in my shade
Their vows of truth and rapture paid,
And on my trunk's surviving frame
Carve many a long forgotten name.
Oh, by the sighs of gentle sound
First breath'd upon the sacred ground—
By all that Love hath whisper'd here,
Or BEAUTY heard with ravish'd ear,
As love's own altar, honor me—
And spare, oh, spare the BEECHEN TREE!
What sub-type of article is it?
Ode
Pastoral
What themes does it cover?
Nature Seasons
Love Courtship
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Beech Tree
Woodman Spare
Lovers Vows
Childhood Memories
Sentimental Plea
What entities or persons were involved?
By Thomas Campbell, Author Of "The Pleasures Of Hope."
Poem Details
Author
By Thomas Campbell, Author Of "The Pleasures Of Hope."
Subject
Plea To Spare A Beech Tree For Its Sentimental History
Form / Style
Rhymed Couplets
Key Lines
Oh, Leave This Barren Spot To Me!
Spare, Woodman, Spare The Beechen Tree!
Since Childhood, In My Pleasant Bower,
First Spent Its Sweet And Pensive Hour—
As Love's Own Altar, Honor Me—