The Sun and the Birch Tree

As I came home through Howard’s lane

The trees were bending down with rain.

A still mist went across their tops,

And my coat was powdered with gray drops.

Then I looked in the woods to see

The limbs of its white birch tree.

It made a bright spot in its air

And I thought the sun was shining there.

Poem Audio

Maude Gibson, painter, watercolor painting of trees in the fall, date unknown, Maude Gibson Collection, 1922-1964, image no. 0010-025-013, Eastern Kentucky University Libraries, Special Collections & Archives. Used with permission from EKU Archives.

About this Poem

By Brandi Bowlin

Consistent with Roberts’ prevailing theme of nature in her works, “The Sun and a Birch Tree” evokes an immediate sense of connection to the natural world for its readers. The speaker recalls a walk home; Roberts indicates the walk happened in the past through her switch between past tenses. This walk occurs during or after a rain shower, as the trees appear burdened with heavy rain. The speaker doesn’t address any other detail of the day, just the walk home and their interactions with nature.

In each of the poem’s eight lines, readers will find an element related to nature. Roberts uses these natural elements to paint an image for readers that shifts from dull and colorless to bright and promising. This transformation is evident through the light, gray drops of mist blanketing the speaker’s coat and the sudden appearance of the radiant sun after the rain. The opening two couplets set an ominous tone for the poem’s first half as it describes the speaker’s view of trees bent by the weight of rainfall and the “still mist” on the canopy of the woods. The bending trees, the lingering mist, and the color gray all lend to this dreary feeling. 

The speaker sees many trees but becomes drawn to one particular tree. When the speaker notices this tree and the spot of light shining through its branches, the poem’s mood shifts to a more positive tone, revealing a sudden hope or optimism that contrasts with the gloomy beginning. The poem's structure could suggest that the speaker’s mood coincides with this shift in tone—the first two couplets describe the bleak setting of a rainy walk home, and the last two couplets show a transition to an illuminated scene. The limbs of the white birch tree contrast with the gray raindrops on the speaker’s coat and allow the sun to emerge in the last couplet. The speaker seems to draw inspiration from the woods, the trees, and the sun shining brightly after the rain.

The woods become personified through ownership of the trees, the light that shines through them, and the air within them. The third and fourth couplets support this association as the speaker observes its white birch tree and its air. Roberts’ use of the plural “woods” but the singular possessive pronoun “its” suggests that “the woods” acts as a single entity in the poem, one that parallels or perhaps influences the speaker’s emotions. A deeper analysis of the poem could suggest that the speaker uses nature to cope with internal discontent. The speaker’s mindfulness of the natural world shows readers how they can embrace the times in life that bring both rain and sunshine, finding faith that a brighter outlook is coming right after the downpour.

Essay Audio