Trees by Abbie Farwell Brown (1902)
The speaker reflects that, though small and unimportant, he can still plant a tree. In time it will grow tall enough to whisper to the sky and spread broad leafy branches that give shade on every side. On a hot summer day, people resting beneath it will praise the good, wise, and great person who planted the blessed tree.
By Abbie Farwell Brown · First published 1902 · Genre: Poetry, Nature Poetry, Children's Poetry · 94 words
First lines
However little I may be, / At least I too can plant a tree.
And some day it will grow so high / That it can whisper to the sky,
And spread its leafy branches wide / To make a shade on every side.
Then on a sultry summer day, / The people resting there will say, --
Similar titles
- To The First Born by Ruth Collie
- Bed In Summer by Robert Louis Stevenson
- What Makes Summer by George Macdonald
- In Autumn When The Woods Are Red by Robert Louis Stevenson
- To A Child by Ruth Collie
- The Spring Beauties by Helen Gray Cone
Genres
- Poetry — The work is a short rhyming lyric poem with regular lines, vivid imagery, and a reflective speaker.
- Nature Poetry — Its central subject is a tree, emphasizing its growth, leafy branches, shade, and relationship to the sky and summer weather.
- Children's Poetry — The simple vocabulary, clear moral purpose, accessible rhyme, and encouraging perspective suit young readers.
- Didactic Poetry — The poem directly promotes the value of planting trees and portrays a small helpful action as beneficial to future people.
Tags
poetry · short poem · nature · trees · tree planting · environmental stewardship · legacy · humility · small acts · hope · future generations · growth
What this Textopian page supports
Trees is listed on Textopian as a poem by Abbie Farwell Brown, dated 1902 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Abbie Farwell Brown
- Date: 1902 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Nature Poetry, Children's Poetry, Didactic Poetry, Environmental Literature
- Length: 94 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Trees by Abbie Farwell Brown
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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