Planting the Apple Tree
(after William Cullen Bryant)
1 Read the poem. Who do you think the poet is speaking to?
Come, let’s plant the apple tree –
Place the roots and press them carefully –
Make a bed for a sleeping child.
What do we plant in this apple tree?
The smell of spring, hope,
Shade on hot summer days,
Birds singing –
A place for stories to be told,
Where friends laugh and lovers meet.
What do we plant in this apple tree?
Fruit for the autumn, apples for
Our winter , warm as the snow
Lies heavy on the branches –
The red welcome of a ,
The of a New Year coming.
What do we plant in this apple tree?
One day, when the wood is old and
The days are long, when we are old
And spring has gone –
Memories – planted in the apple tree.
2 What reasons does the poet give for planting the apple tree?
3 What seems more important in this poem – people, or nature?
4 What does the poem suggest is the similarity between the seasons and the life of a human being?
5 In your opinion, does the poem have a positive or negative message? Give reasons for your answer.
6 SPEAKING Work in pairs. Why do people think planting a tree is a good thing to do? How important is it to take care of nature for future generations?