The Mistake

The contents of this poem revolves around a strange tree which is situated in the persona's back garden; it is 'rare' and appears to have medicinal healing powers. However, when the drought comes the tree is no longer special and 'ordinary walnuts' sprout whilst the tree becomes 'Tired of lies', showing it has had enough with the fake identity it has been given. In my opinion the tree symbolises how people feel the need to make an extravagant identity for themselves, for example through clothes and designer labels, but really there is nothing wrong with being 'ordinary' and it is what's underneath that counts and should be appreciated.
     In the first stanza, the persona introduces us to the 'green tree' and tells of how it 'once had no identity.' It is described as obtaining an 'acrid odour', making the tree sound not just 'ordinary' but unpleasant. Then, after 'thirteen years' the tree gets given the identity of 'Evodia danieli' and it suddenly appears to gain value, as it's owners begin to 'boast' about it. This presents the idea of humankind feeling the need to label everything, that there is a system of value in this world and your identity must be sparkling and 'rare', exceptionally special, if you are to be appreciated and awed. The owners then used this 'acrid odour' to 'boast' with, claiming it would 'charm away your cold'. They also claim it to be 'rare as Welsh gold', and this comparison presents to tree as something Holy, making it evermore . This stanza suggests that something unpleasant can become something fascinating and magical if someone claims it to be something it's not - but this fake identity is not genuine, it is not real.
     'Who, in all of Great Britain, possessed such treasure?' This question presents the tree to be very rare; again, this is fake because the tree is in fact just an 'ordinary walnut' tree, of which there are many. The tree, 'Tired of / lies / ... suddenly asserted itself, sprouted / ordinary walnuts, shamelessly free of disguise.' These last few lines illustrate the way in which the tree itself finally realises it is perfectly happy being something normal and not out of the ordinary - the fake identity which it has gained, and the fake fame which comes with it, does not please the tree itself, but only the people around it. This portrays the idea that you should live for yourself and be happy with your own identity, whatever that may be, and should not allow anyone else to decide it for you or try and alter you. By positioning the word 'lies' on a line of it's own, the concept of deceit and fakeness becomes emphasised, depicting the real message of the poem which is the be true to yourself and not mask yourself as something you are not.