A Poem on the Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy
By Nikki Giovanni
Trees
are never felled . . . in summer . . . Not when the fruit . . . is yet
to be borne . . . Never before the promise . . . is fulfilled . . . Not
when their cooling shade . . . has yet to comfort . . .Yet
there are those . . . unheeding of nature . . . indifferent
to ecology . . . ignorant of need . . . who . . . with ax and sharpened saw . . .
would . . . in boots . . . step forth damaging . . .Not the tree . . . for it falls . . .
But those who would . . . in summer’s heat . . . or winter’s cold . . . contemplate . . .
the beauty . . .
Analysis
This poem has a very strong message that is dedicated to a very important figure named Robert F. Kennedy. The poem uses the metaphor of a tree that is about to bear fruit, about to create shade, about to give comfort to the lives of others. She is referring to the tree as Mr. Kennedy. He had the promise of making others lives better and was determined to do so. The analogy of " Yet there are those . . . unheeding of nature . . . indifferent to ecology . . . ignorant of need" described the people that had killed him. The cooling shade was a metaphor for protection a sense of security. They were too greedy and selfish to see the beauty of the promise and continued damaging the tree. These people took away something that was very much loved by all the people . The tree fell, meaning the person died. The last line tells of the grief that people had felt as a loved and important person/tree, had left them, and the anger that they felt towards the people that could never see its beauty and promise. The person is left with no legacy or fruit and no hope.
Trees
are never felled . . . in summer . . . Not when the fruit . . . is yet
to be borne . . . Never before the promise . . . is fulfilled . . . Not
when their cooling shade . . . has yet to comfort . . .Yet
there are those . . . unheeding of nature . . . indifferent
to ecology . . . ignorant of need . . . who . . . with ax and sharpened saw . . .
would . . . in boots . . . step forth damaging . . .Not the tree . . . for it falls . . .
But those who would . . . in summer’s heat . . . or winter’s cold . . . contemplate . . .
the beauty . . .
Analysis
This poem has a very strong message that is dedicated to a very important figure named Robert F. Kennedy. The poem uses the metaphor of a tree that is about to bear fruit, about to create shade, about to give comfort to the lives of others. She is referring to the tree as Mr. Kennedy. He had the promise of making others lives better and was determined to do so. The analogy of " Yet there are those . . . unheeding of nature . . . indifferent to ecology . . . ignorant of need" described the people that had killed him. The cooling shade was a metaphor for protection a sense of security. They were too greedy and selfish to see the beauty of the promise and continued damaging the tree. These people took away something that was very much loved by all the people . The tree fell, meaning the person died. The last line tells of the grief that people had felt as a loved and important person/tree, had left them, and the anger that they felt towards the people that could never see its beauty and promise. The person is left with no legacy or fruit and no hope.