Heritage: Symbolism in The Black Walnut Tree Anonymous 12th Grade

The poem “The Black Walnut Tree” by Mary Oliver poignantly dramatizes the conflict a mother and daughter face between sentiment and money. The conflict arises over the choice of whether or not to cut down the eponymous walnut tree to “pay off the mortgage” (5). However, it is revealed throughout the poem how much sentiment the mother and daughter have for the tree. As the mother and daughter debate and talk over the pros and cons of keeping the tree, their conversation shifts from the practical to the sentimental. Mary Oliver conveys the relationship between the tree and the family largely through figurative language and visual imagery aided by transitions and personification.

The title of the poem itself has abundant figurative meaning and symbolism. For example, trees represent life, growth and hope, all of which are contrasted by the dark connotations of “black.” Walnuts symbolize toughness and masculinity with their hard outer shells, which will be important as to why the mother and daughter feel such sentiment for the tree. The poem begins with the mother and daughter debating whether or not to sell “the black walnut tree / to the lumberman” (3-4). The temptation of being able to pay off the mortgage on the house is...