In the poem, “Dirge in Woods” by George Meredith, the narrator shares his or her thoughts on the circle of life expressing his thoughts through depictions of a pine tree in the woods. The speaker vividly describes the look and sound of the pine tree and its surroundings. Throughout the poem, the speaker speaks to the audience in a contemplative yet matter-of-fact tone, encouraging humanity to have a thoughtful reflection on the larger, meaningful circle of life through his/her presentation of the pine tree. The speaker presents the theme of continuity along with observations regarding the pine tree and the environment surrounding it. The speaker explains that, even though individual living things die, such as humans or plants, the greater species as a whole continues to live on. The speaker reflects thoughtfully on the similarities of the life of a peaceful pine tree as a reflection of mankind as a whole. From the start of this poem, the speaker describes the life cycle of a pine tree which is representative of all of life itself. The poem opens with the resting peaceful pine…show more content… When the speaker says “And below/Not a breath of wild air”, he/she is describing the extreme difference between the harried, unpredictable moments of a given day or a moment of time versus the calm, overall consistency of a life in general. The speaker elaborates on this thought, continuing to describe the base of the tree as “still as the mosses that glow” depicting the ever reliable steadiness across individuals lifetimes. The speaker then elaborates on the appearance of the base of the tree “Of the roots here and there” (line 6). As the pine tree ages, each day, the roots of the tree grow and provide steady strength at the base of the tree just as a person ages, they become more established and
