In the first stanza, through the portrayal of the growing trees as cheerful and melancholy, the speaker intentionally reveals the meaninglessness of life. Larkin illustrates the trees as "bearing leaves." It uses the "leaf" as a symbol of life and conveys a connotation of hope and life. Through this, it establishes an image of freshness, birth and liveliness. He further reinforces this lively mood as he describes the comforting sight of “recent shoots [that] relax and spread.” He uses sibilants to effectively provoke the idea of ​​the sound of rustling tree leaves, signifying life and youth. Therefore, the speaker further emphasizes the lively image of lively trees and enhances the encouraging and hopeful atmosphere. But soon after, the speaker responds by saying that “their green is a kind of pain.” Larkin uses the alliteration of “green” and “pain” to highlight that such beauty of life is a “pain” because it is transitory. Additionally, he uses the word pain to create a rhyming couplet of “leaf” in the first line and “pain” in the last line of the stanza. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayThis rhyming couplet really contrasts the two distinct examples of positivity and pessimism, further highlighting that the speaker has a misunderstanding between what he feels about life. In the second stanza, the speaker reiterates that the trees that appear young from the outside, actually grow old and must eventually die, demonstrating that the speaker feels and knows the inevitability of death. He questions the immortality of trees compared to the linear life of humans, asking: "is it that they are reborn and we grow old?". Through the use of the phrases "to be reborn" meaning new renewal and "to grow old" meaning death, the speaker reveals the idea of ​​the contrast between youth and age. The speaker deliberately uses question mark punctuation to reveal his introspective and almost cerebral tone to show how he thinks in all moments of his life. Through the choice of the word “wheat rings,” the speaker implies that despite their new and clean appearance, the trees age on the inside, a theme of the contrast between youth and age. The reader can also interpret this expression of the poet in a separate way: the speaker uses trees as a metaphor for human beings. Because trees outwardly appear lively but inwardly age and die, the speaker is almost mocking them in comparison to human beings who try to make the most of their lives. Through this pessimistic tone, we see that the speaker suggests that death is inevitable and because of this he outlines his melancholic attitude towards life by showing that he thinks it is meaningless. In the final stanza, the speaker shows his admiration for the trees always trying to revive and renew themselves, in contrast to his own reluctance to try to revive life. Use the phrase “more still,” which implies a change in tone from pessimism to a more positive one. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The speaker compares trees to “restless castles.” The speaker uses this metaphor to create an image of masculinity and strength, as if their branches were turrets. Furthermore, Larkin's repetition of the onomatopoeia "afresh" further enhances the sound of tree leaves shaking and rustling in the wind, thus signifying life again. Through this onomatopoeia, the speaker thinks of images of nature and hope, and the images used by..