It is said that William Makepeace Thackeray explores many counterparts of human life and he excellently established them all.

“Mahogany Tree” is a very famous poem that sometimes represents the season ‘winter’. If we go to the further details of the poem will see that the poet takes place centering the ‘mahogany tree’.

The Mahogany Tree by William Makepeace Thackeray Theme

Throughout this poem, the poet cherishes his past life, songs of birds, and even of the dead person that takes place centering the mahogany tree. That is the main theme of this poem.

One another thing comes that is the poet’s mood of festivity. The poet here more than two times utters about his enjoyment with his friends which is also a theme of the poem.

Summary

The poem begins with a seasonal twist where the poet states that finally ‘winter’ has come and the shrill-sounding breeze is going up on the air.

Poet is an Englishman which is why he sketched a scenario of England. Where the rough breeze is blowing. There is a little bit of fear and care. The shelter is about this mahogany tree that is standing like a pillar.

“Once on the boughs

Birds of rare plume

Sang, in its bloom;

Night birds are we;”

By these lines, the poet tells the readers about the birds that have boughs seems they have won the chilled weather. Then sang in bloom probably they are the night birds.

Now the poet is comparing themselves with the birds as they are also singing after drinking alcohol. They all perched round around the stem of the tree.

So, this is the way of the poet’s description. In the next stanza, the poet further speaks to let them sport dedicating the boys. They will laugh freely and it would be a free flashing wit.

“Life is but short—

When we are gone,

Let them sing on,

Round the old tree.”

Here, the poet gets a bit melancholic because he is thinking of their death. When the poet and other people will die it would be needed that they will sing so alike by rounding the old mahogany tree.

They all will be staying in this world like they used to stay. The evening that they knew was awesome and they were happy. The faces that they miss are there this day and it is very pleasant to the poet.

They are kind and true that probably died. That is why he further utters that rest to the dust that means the soil or to the dead bodies.

Those who have died will stay at peace and those who are alive will sing round the mahogany tree. In the next stanza, where the poet is uttering to let the dog wait. It stands like ‘lurks at the gate’.

Then they will be happy and they will peel the coals and will fill up the red bowl. It is an image where probably they are making a feast and they round the old tree.

Then he compared the cup with a drain by looking at this perhaps his friends are afraid of art. Maybe they afraid by looking at the red bowl because the spirits use to lay in the red sea that bowl is looking like.

“Mantle it up;
Empty it yet;”

Here, the poet again telling to fill it up as it remains still empty. And also says leave these and again let the tree a round.

If they round the tree probably the sorrow will observe and life, the illness will be gone. Maybe the poet wants to fly like a flea. He wants to get the blue devil that may come in the morning. But for that night round, the tree is most significant.

Analysis

If we go through the analysis of the poem will definitely see that he started the poem from a seasonal stage then he changed it into his life and enjoyment. Within the whole poem, the significance of the ‘Mahogany Tree’ remains the same.

Though the tree is not playing a role or does not work as a whole. The poem is tree centric but it is less significant as their lives and the environment are being highlighted.

Poet is asking to round up the tree at the end of every stanza because the poet wants the reader not to forget the benevolence of the tree.

Literary Devices

A rhetorical device is a major part of the poem that makes a poet more attractive and significant. The rhythm scheme that the poet follows here is ‘abbcdeec’. This is prominently illustrated by Makepeace Thackeray.

As a figure of speech, we have symbolism that symbolizes a particular porting. Here, ‘jolly tree’ is a symbol of the free atmosphere around the tree. ‘Peace to the dust’ is also written in a symbolic tone that means peace to death person.

Syncope is another relevant poetic device that is the writing style used with an apostrophe like, ‘shelter’d’, ‘perch’d’, ‘we’ll’.

Anaphora is a common literary device that provokes the repeat words in the beginning two lines one after another.

“Little care we;
Little we fear”

Oxymoron is also a rhetorical device where two different words are used to be written to make sense like ‘jolly old tree’.

These are all the relevant poetic uses of Thackeray that make sense and also riches the poetic quality.