When Great Trees Fall Summary

When Great Trees Fall Poem Summary, Theme, Critical Analysis by Maya Angelou

When Great Trees Fall Summary

The poetess Maya Angelou in her poem “When Great Trees Fall” describes what happens when huge and enormous trees collapse; the impact of which shakes the rocks on the top of even the faraway hills, makes the lions crouch low in the field and even prompts the elephants to trudge off in search of shelter. Not only this when big trees collapse and fall in the woods, the little creatures curl up in the silence too shocked to be frightened. The deaths of significant people have a similar effect

on humanity. In their absence, the air feels flimsy, scarce and devoid of life. With a sudden burst of painful clarity, we gasp and see things. This loss makes our memory more precise and we keep thinking about the nice things we wish we’d said while the person was still alive. The deaths of these exceptional people upend the world for us as we know that the world was inextricably tied up with their existence.

Our souls shrivel up by the thought of their tender care and guidance. We lose our holds on our minds which were shaped and enlightened by their brilliance. Our minds become diminished, but we do not go mad or crazy. Our minds as if are returned to the unspeakable crudeness of the stone ages (dark, cold caves). We eventually begin to feel a sense of peace, though this comes in fits and starts rather than all at once.

The emptiness created by the loss of these people begins to fill up with a charged, consoling hum. The numbness fades and we are able to perceive the world again, though we will never experience things as we did before this loss. We begin to take comfort in the mere fact that this person existed once. We can go on living or go on existing and live more meaningful lives because this person once existed.

When Great Trees Fall About the Author Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou is an American author, actress, screen writer. Poet and civil rights activist best known for her 1969 memoir, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings which made literary history as the first non-fiction best seller by an African American woman.

She was born on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis Missouri. Angelou received several honours through her career, including two NAACP Image Awards in the outstanding literary work (non-fiction) category, in 2005 and 2009. She also got many Grammy Awards.

Angelou published several collections of poetry, but the most famous was 1971’s collection Just Give Me A Cool Drink Of Water ‘fore I Die, which has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Other famous collections of her poetry include And Still I Rise (1978), Shaker, Why Don’t You Sing(1983), I Shall Not Be Moved (1990), Even The Stars Look Lonesome (1997).

Her works Amazing Peace, On The Pulse Of Morning, Dawn In the Delta are also noticeable. She also wrote autobiographies one of which is A song Flung Up To Heaven. She died on May 28, 2014. Several memorials were held in her honour, including ones at Wake Forest University and Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco.

When Great Trees Fall Theme

The theme presented in the poem “When Great Trees Fall” is death. The poem speaks about the death of the beloved ones through the presentation of the collapse or fall of “great trees”. It discusses about the loss we have to face as a consequence or result of the departure of our beloved ones. It also speaks of the great influence that the departed beloved ones have in our lives. But since death is inevitable, we have to accept it. So it talks about death, loss, grief and ultimately acceptance.

When Great Trees Fall Critical Analysis

In the poem “When Great Trees Falf’Maya Angelou compares the death of the great people to the fall of the great trees in the forest. She uses symbolism and strong imagery to show a person’s response to loss.lt doesn’t matter how strong or tough we are: when any influential person in our life passes away, we feel the effects.

She says that when gigantic trees come crashing down, the impact is felt far and wide. Rocks on the distant hills feel the vibrations of the collapse of the tree. The word “shudder” suggests that the landscape itself trembles with fear. The lions” hunker down” or crouch down in tall grasses and the elephants trundle along in search of shelter.

The things like large rocks, lions, elephants are linked with steadfastness and strength. Large rocks are heavy and immobile, lions are fearsome predators-kings of the jungle and elephants are enormous, slow-moving creatures. Yet they are seen to be reacting to the falling of trees. The small animals being scared recoiled to silence or in other words the falling of great trees shakes everything around them. The great trees therefore are symbolic which represent great people, whose loss reverberates throughout the world.

She says that when great trees fall, it causes gigantic parts of nature to move and small and large members of the animal kingdom to react. The natural imagery mentioned above, sets the stage and then creates a parallel for what people do in the aftermath of a human death. Rather than speaking of trees as a stand-in for human life she addresses the “great souls” directly.

The air becomes light, rare and sterile in which we seem to breathe shortly. So as the poem progresses we find that the poetess moves on to directly speak about “great souls” and how human beings react to loss. It is like that, with the death of the great souls our vision for the world, also goes with them. It seems that the pain of such a loss erases all the good that the dead, once brought into the world. We gasp and see things with a sudden burst of sharp painful lucidity.

This loss also makes our memories more precise and we wish for the kind words to be said that has been unsaid while the person was alive and also wish for the walks that was promised once to the dead, but has not been taken. The poetess says that when the great souls die, our reality also takes leave of us.

The world which was inextricably tied up with their existence, after their death seems to upend. We relied on their tender care and guidance and now with their death our souls shrink and shrivel up. The minds that were “formed and informed” by the person’s radiance or brilliance seem to return to “ignorance.”

The world itself feel “sterile” and hostile without them. Our minds are diminished and are returned to the “dark, cold caves” or stone ages. The loss of the great souls can eat away at the heart and the soul of a human being. It leaves a gnawing pain that nothing can heal. It leaves a gaping wound that tries to heal and yet is re-opened again and again by memories and regrets.

While discussing of death, we find her using a gentle and calm tone. We also find how the poetess identifies with others who have felt this loss when she uses the second-person point of view and claims “We are not so much maddened cold caves.” The despair here is described as “dark, cold caves.”

The feelings are so strong that they are unspeakable. The poetess not only is able to identify the feeling of deep loss and anguish but she is also able to offer hope for healing through her powerful words which she uses in her poem through the general mood and the clear, simple style and diction. As we progress more, we find how the mood of the poem changes from moments of despair and depressions to ones of hope and peace.

The poetess seems to imply the time which has allowed for this healing to occur. She says that with the passage of time “after a period” one is able to feel “peace bloom” which happens “slowly and always irregularly”. This shows that even as one is slowly beginning to heal and feel peace, one still has moments of despair and anguish.

She describes the feelings in between the time of healing with a kind of soothing “electric vibrations.” She means to say that the pain of losing some loved ones still buzzes in the background but the memory of the lost person is soothing and consoling. In the back of one’s mind and in the background of all that one does, one hears the presence of the lost person. The poetess says that one hears the whisper, “they existed, they existed” which gives a new meaning to his/her life.

She admits that because of this great person existed, we can “do better.” At the end of this poem, the poetess offers hope to all those who have experienced loss. Even if they will never be same again, and even if there will always be pain and sadness, there is hope for healing and joy in the middle of the great loss. So we see that Maya Angelou in her poem speaks about the loss as a tragic one but it is inevitable part of the human life.

When Great Trees Fall Title of the Story

Maya Angelou’s poem “When Great Trees Fall” compares the death of great people to the collapsing or falling of great or huge trees in the forest’ The poetess then in her poem describes how the fallen trees and the departed souls send shockwaves throughout the nature and throughout our lives respectively.

In other words the title of the poem “When Great Trees Fall” symbolizes the death of a great person. Though the title of the poem does not match directly with the contents yet we can see that there is a connection shown through the comparison of great trees and great souls.

The speaker describes how a fall or collapse of great trees shake the earth and how the animals, big and small react to this. The rocks of the faraway hills shudder. The lions hide, hunker down in the tall grasses. The elephants lumber after safety.

The poem compares the death of the loved ones to the monumental shifts that occur when large and powerful trees fall in the forest. The human beings, big or small react when they lose some dear ones or when “great souls” die, they react to this loss.

Again the speaker says that the smaller animals recoil or rebound in silence and “their senses eroded beyond fear.” This emphasizes that the ones at loss are not even sure what they feel because their senses are being eroded beyond fear. So till here everywhere in the poem we have found how the speaker compares the loss caused by the great trees on the one hand and the loss caused by the departing of the great souls on the other hand.

From this point of view the title of the poem has a very deep meaning. In the next part of the poem, the speaker directly mentions the losses we face when some beloved of ours depart from us. She speaks of the different losses that we face. The person whom we have lost has a great influence in our lives. The speaker directly speaks of the inability of us to breathe in the air.

The air becomes light, rare and sterile and becomes unfit for us to breathe when some dear ones pass away or leave us. Once the great souls die and leave us we are able to see and understand the value of them whom we have lost and of course which are very painful. We have a short moment of “hurtful clarity”. When the loss hits us, our memory suddenly becomes sharp. We also are able to remember the moments spent with them, who have been lost.

Though these memories are precious and valuable to us, yet we feel a sharp gnaw in our souls. This sharp gnaw is a feeling of regret that comes within our souls after our beloved ones leave us or depart from us. We have the realization of the kind words that were not said to them while they were alive, or a realization of promised walks that have not been taken. All these realizations come and we are filled with regrets for not doing so. These are the effects of losing the great souls.

It has been said already that these great souls were compared to the great trees in the first portion of the poem. Then again the speaker says that when “great souls” die, it changes our reality. The person on whom we were dependent and on whose guidance and nurture our souls grew, now with the death of the person, shrink and wrinkle. Once, on whose radiance and brilliance our minds were formed and informed, now fall away after their death.

The despair in our minds and souls are “as cold dark caves.” The feelings are so strong that they are unspeakable, When the great souls die, after a short period we slowly recover and feel peace. In the background of our mind, we have the pain and anguish for the lost souls, but the memory of them, help us to be better and give us a new meaning to our life.

Our minds whisper to us and say “they existed.” So we see that the next portion of the poem has dealt with the great souls -their death, the loss we face and the impact of their death on us. From that sense the title which is given as “When Great Trees Fall” symbolizes the great souls, when they die. So the title can be said to be suitable though the title does not tell us directly of what it s means.

When Great Trees Fall About The Poem

Maya Angelou wrote “When Great Trees Fall” in 1987 after the death of her friend and fellow writer/activist James Baldwin. It is the comparison between the death of “great people” and falling of “great trees” in a forest. This poem was read out by Angelou at Baldwin’s funeral. The speaker compares the loss of “great souls” such as Baldwin to the fall of “great trees”, the impact of which can be felt in every direction.

The poem deals with the discussion of the natural world which reminds us of the inevitability and naturalness of loss. It also acknowledges that despite the inevitable loss; life has to go on and so it has to be accepted the way it is.

When great trees fall, beings big and small seem to seek safety and stability. So also when a large loss occurs, effects are felt by both big and small. The widespread disruption stands as a parallel to the effects felt by the survivors when a significant person in their lives departs. The eco system of our minds and hearts sense the change and continues for a period.

But it is the beauty of life that – just like the natural world, we also can eventually recover and revive. In the place of the departed people or the fallen trees new growths spring up. Without the empty space this would not have been possible. The cycle and continuation of life itself is a testament to what had been; for though great souls die, we can make meaning from the knowledge that they existed and touched our lives.

When Great Trees Fall Main Point Of The Poem

The poem “When Great Trees Fall” opens with a metaphor of the tree that falls. It symbolizes the loss of great person. It speaks more generally of the experience of losing someone important and the ways in which even the most poignant grief eventually gives way to acceptance. So the speaker gives a comparison and says that just as when great trees fall, the effect is felt for miles around.

In the same way, when a great soul departs, the effects are felt deep and far. The animals react when great trees fall in the forest. So also when people die, human beings react to loss. Ultimately she concludes the poem with a message of hope and renewal, suggesting that after the death of a loved one, “We can be. Be and be better. For they existed.”

When Great Trees Fall Linewise Summary

1. When great trees fall,
rocks on distant hills shudder,
lions bunker down
in tall grasses,
and even elephants
lumber after safety.

In the poem “When Great Trees Fall”, Maya Angelou,the poetess uses symbolism and strong imagery to show her response to loss. The poem begins with “When Great Trees Fall” which symbolizes the loss of great people. When a great tree falls,it is felt for miles around. The rocks of the distant hills which are immovable, seem to shudder. This symbolizes the ways in which the death causes people, even distant people, to feel disheartened. The lions hunker down in tall grasses.

The lions are beasts of power, bravery and strength. So it doesn’t matter how strong or tough we are, we feel the effects when an influential person in our life passes away. Even the elephants which are so enormous in size lumber after safety and look for their shelter when great trees fall. The elephants symbolize that even the great, known people also react when they lose some loved ones.

2. When great trees fall
in forests,
small things recoil into silence,
their senses
eroded beyond fear.

When the great trees in the forest fall, even the small things in the forest “recoil” or shrink in silence. They are not even sure what they feel for their senses are eroded beyond fear. This suggests that when a great soul die, the loss is even felt among the small. This could mean that physically small or children feel the effects of the loss as much as their old counterparts.

It could also mean that those who are unknown, without fame or political significance, feel the effects of the loss just as the great minds feel it. They have no words to comfort. The loss of a dear one makes the hearts and souls numb.

3. When great souls die,
the air around us becomes
light, rare, sterile.
We breathe, briefly.
Our eyes, briefly, see with
a hurtful clarity.

When a great soul dies, the air in which we breathe, even seems to become light and sterile. It is hard to breathe when one has lost an important loved one. We also have a brief or short moment of “hurtful clarity”. With our minds full of grief and pain we are able to see lucidly and understand clearly, what a valuable soul we have lost.

4. Our memory, suddenly sharpened,
examines,
gnaws on kind words
unsaid,
promised walks
never taken.

When a loss hits us, suddenly our memory is sharpened and we are able to remember the moments spent with the one who has been lost. These memories though precious, also feel like a dagger to the soul. It is then we have the feelings of regret.

When we lose a loved person we regret the “kind words” that have been unsaid to the departed soul. The memories of the lost person also make us think about the walks we had once promised with the person but is never taken. Having never fulfilled those promises leaves us with a gnawing pain of despair and regret.

5. Great souls die and
our reality, bound to them,
takes leave of us.
Our souls,
dependent upon their
nurture,
now shrinks, wizened.

We undergo a mental and an emotional grief for losing someone close. The loss of a “great soul” means the loss of a soul that had a great impact on our everyday lives. This loss alters our reality. The death of the person on whose guidance and nurture we depended, leaves us feeling small. So our souls seem to shrink and wizened.

6. Our minds, formed
and informed by their
radiance, fall away.
We are not so much maddened
as reduced to the unutterable ignorance or
dark, cold ;
Caves.

Our minds which were once formed and informed by the brilliance of the lost person, fall away due to this loss of the great soul. “We are not so much maddened” – reveals that we are not necessarily angry though anger is a part of the feelings that can come from this loss. We feel a sense of despair more than anger. We become disheartened and crestfallen. This despair is as “cold, dark cave”. The feelings of despair are so strong within us, that we cannot even utter or speak.

7. And when great souls die,
after a period peace blooms,
slowly and always
irregularly. Spaces fill
with a kind of
Something, electric vibration.

In between these moments of despair and anguish due to the loss of the great soul, we still begin to heal and feel peace. The feelings in between this healing are like a kind of soothing or comforting “electric vibration”. It is said to be a vibration because somewhere on the back of our mind, we can feel the pain vibrating or buzzing.

8. Our senses, restored, never
to be the same, whisper to us.
They existed. They existed.
We can be. Be and be
better. For they existed.

Yet when we recollect the memories of the lost person, they soothe and comfort us. Then eventually our senses are restored even if our restored senses are never the same. In the background of our minds, we can hear the whisper, “they existed”.

This gives new meaning to our lives and because of the presence of the lost one in our minds, we can “be better”. The ending of the poem offers great hope to all who have experienced loss. So there are grief and pain which hit us when a great or loved person die, but hope is also there which again helps us to live a new life or to revive.

When Great Trees Fall Linewise Summary

1. When great trees fall,
rocks on distant hills shudder,
lions hunker down
in tall grasses,
and even elephants
lumber after safety.

The poem “The Great Trees Fall” opens with the metaphor of the tree that falls. It symbolizes the loss of a great person. When great trees fall, it is felt for miles around. In the same way when a great soul departs, the effects are felt deep and far. The poetess says that when great trees fall, the rocks of the distant hills shudder and vibrate. The lions hide and take shelter in tall grasses. Even the big animals like elephants trudge for shelter and safety.

2. When great trees fall
in forests,
small things recoil into silence,
their senses
eroded beyond fear.

When great trees fall in the forests, not only the big animals but also the small animals rebound in silence. They are not even sure what they feel for their senses are eroded beyond fear.

3. When great souls die,
the air around us becomes
light, rare, sterile.
We breathe, briefly.
Our eyes, briefly,
see with
a hurtful clarity.

In these lines the speaker shifts from her use of metaphor by speaking directly about death. When great souls die or depart from us, the air we breathe in also seems to become “light” and “sterile”. It is hard to breathe when one has lost an important man. The speaker also describes the way in which those who are affected by loss have a short moment of “hurtful clarity” that is they are able to see and realize just what a valuable soul has departed from us.

4. Our memory, suddenly sharpened,
examines,
gnaws on kind words
unsaid,
promised walks
never taken.

When a person is hit with a great loss the person’s memory is “suddenly sharpened”. He or She is able to remember the moments once spent with the departed or the lost person. The speaker then explains the feelings of regret that one undergoes who has lost someone dear. One will sometimes regret the “kind words unsaid”. One also thinks or remembers about the walks that were once promised to be taken with the loved ones.

5. Great souls die and
our reality, bound to
them, takes leave of us.
Our souls,
dependent upon their
nurture,
now shrinks, wizened.

In this stanza,the loss of a “great soul” means the loss of a soul that had a great impact on one’s everyday life. The poetess elucidates the way,our souls were once dependent on the nurture of another, the loss of whom leaves us with a feeling of becoming small or in other words our souls shrink.

6. Our minds, formed
and informed by their
radiance, fall away.
We are not so much maddened
as reduced to the unutterable ignorance of
dark, cold
Caves.

The speaker in these lines describes the way in which our minds have been “formed and informed” by the radiance and brilliance of the great person or soul with the departure of whom, our minds seem to decline. The speaker gives an insight into the mental and emotional effects of losing someone close.

She says that though we are not so much maddened by the loss yet we have some feelings that are unutterable and ineffable. There is a feeling of despondence and despair and this feeling is described as a “cold dark cave”. Our minds are minimized to the inexpressible ‘ignorance’.

7. And when great souls die,
after a period peace blooms,
slowly and always
irregularly. Spaces fill
with a kind of
Something, electric vibration.

Through these lines, the poetess reveals that even we slowly began to heal and recover the loss with the passage of time, yet somewhere in the background of our minds we can still find the despair and anguish for our loved ones. This healing is like a soothing or comforting “electric vibration”. In other words the pain still buzz in the background but the memory of the lost dear one seems to be soothing and comforting.

8. Our senses, restored, never
to be the same, whisper to us.
They existed. They existed.
We can be. Be and be
better. For they existed.

The poetess explains that eventually our senses are restored even if they are never “to be the same,” because in the back of our minds we can hear and feel the presence of our departed loved person. We can hear the whisper “They existed”. This gives us new meaning and purpose in our life. The poetess says that because this great person existed, we can “be better”.

When Great Trees Fall Annotations and Vocabulary

Shudder — tremble convulsively; quaver
Hunker — to make oneself comfortable in a place or situation
Lumber — trudge; tramp
Recoil — rebound or spring back through force of impact or elasticity
Eroded — chipped away at; disintegrated
Clarity — clearness or lucidity as to perception or understanding
Nurture — the action or process of bringing up or fostering
Shrink — retreat; pull back
Wizened — shrivelled or wrinkled with age.
Radiance — brilliance; brightness; blaze
Unutterable — unspeakable; unable to utter or speak
Soothing — having a gentle calming effect; reducing pain or discomfort
Restored — re-established; re-installed; to bring back

When Great Trees Fall Poem Summary, Theme, Critical Analysis by Maya Angelou