"Looking Up at Leaves"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Howes successfully brings a sense of reverence to a seemingly simple moment in nature through her literary technique of employing metaphor, simile, symbolism, and imagery. The author points out that a powerful metaphor the poet employs in this poem involves her description of the roots of the lily as delicate, yet strong enough to survive the harsh elements of nature. The paper notes that the poet uses the metaphor of "pool" when describing the pond and the earth, connecting the two "hemispheres" that the trees hold apart.

From the Paper:

"For example, the poet tells us the leaves have "depth" (2) and even though they beckon us, we sense withdrawal from them as well. With this image, we can envision the leaves swaying in the breeze. The poet also gives us a fantastic image of the leaves in the sky when she describes their, "fragile tumult on the way to the sky" (3). From this image we know that the wind carries them up and around before releasing them so that they actually begin to fall to the earth."

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