summary of our causirina tree poem

Toru Dutt, one of the Indian romantics, shared space with
Derozio, Sarojini Naidu, Aurobindo and Tagore. During her stay in London, she came in
contact with literary figures like Grosse. Her poetry is ccharacterized by a master of
language and like other Anglo-Indian writers preffered to write about her surroundings,
past experiences, Indian legends and myths.

'Out Casuarina
Tree' is a poem in which she talks about the memories of her childhood in context to the
casurina tree. she gave a pictoral discription of the casurina tree, stands tall and
strong with huge branches on her home ground in Calcutta. A creep that binds the tree
which is full of coloured flowers, gave it an appearance of a scarf hung arroun the
tree. She says,

''the giant-wears the scarf, and flowers
are hung.''

Toru Dutt recalls the melodious song sung by
the Nightingale and the kokilas while a baboon sat on the branch watching sunset as its
young ones played on the bough. Water-lilies spring arround the tree and the tree looks
as if covered by snow. she justifies her love with the casurina tree which is not
because of its devine awesome beauty. But her attachment (root) springs from the
memories of her childhood , the moments shared in the proximity of her loved ones
especially her friends around the tree. Nostalgia is responsible for her craving for the
tree, as she wrote,

''o sweeet compassion, loved with love
intense,for your sake shall the tree be ever dear''

The
impression that the tree has made on her is so strong and deep that she is always
mentally connected with it. Even when she stayed in France or Italy her mind thought of
the casurina tree and seemed to hear the rusting of the leaves in the murmering of the
waves of the sea. She peened the love for her
motherland.

The poem is an insight into the exotic beauty
of nature and heartfelt human emotions . 'Our Casurina Tree' contains a masterly
management of intricate rhyme scheme, enchanting description of nature and a sad eligent
tone. it is a poem in which Dutts poetic cretivity is seen at its best. she eligently
assimilates her sentimental attachment with the scenic beauty of nature. The use of the
similies like 'like a huge python, winding round and round' makes the poem attractive.
The images from nature such as 'crimson flowers', 'baboon', 'water lilies' etc are staed
with force and clarity. The allegorical figures that bring the poem to a conclusion of
love and oblivion are proceeded by the quotation from Wordworth. The poem by Toru Dutt
is is an expression of intense pain on the loss of her loved ones. As is stated by
Shelly,

''Our sweetest songs are those hat tell of sades
thoughts.''

Toru Dutt echoes the sentiments of many other
poets in her dezire to immortalise the tree. She wishes to do so as Shakespeare does in
his sonnets. Here however is a tree and not a human being. Toru does not desire any
moral lesson from the tree, nor is she writting a passionate love poem. Yet, it is a
very moving poem, perhaps because it unites the theme of love with that of the beauty of
nature in an  immensely effective way.

Therefore, she says
that ,

''They form, O tree, as in my happy
prime

I save thee in my own loved native
lime.''

This shows the pathos, as she says that she waited
to join her folks (who are no more) who were dearer to her more than her
life.