Bertolt Brecht

Trees, a lake, and cattle in a pastoral painting

Conversations about Trees: Engagement and Retreat in Brecht, Rich, and Marvell

Nature offers the comforting suggestion of continuity, an awareness of scale; it can be both menacing and welcoming; it’s fertile ground for symbol and simile. However, in times of heightened political tension, poems about trees can feel like a cop-out, or especially irrelevant.