Good Timber
by Douglas Malloch
The tree that never had to fight
For sun and sky and air and light,
But stood out in the open plain
And always got its share of rain,
Never became a forest king
But lived and died a scrubby thing.The man who never had to toil
To gain and farm his patch of soil,
Who never had to win his share
Of sun and sky and light and air,
Never became a manly man
But lived and died as he began.Good timber does not grow with ease,
The stronger wind, the stronger trees,
The further sky, the greater length,
The more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
In trees and men good timbers grow.Where thickest lies the forest growth
We find the patriarchs of both.
And they hold counsel with the stars
Whose broken branches show the scars
Of many winds and much of strife.
This is the common law of life
Summary of Good Timber
- Popularity of “Good Timber”: This beautiful and concise poem written by Douglas Malloch, an influential American short story writer, editor, and poet, first appeared in 1922 and proved an instant hit, winning accolades for the poet on account of its simple yet effective thematic idea and seductive six-verses stanza type. The poem is about competition and its value in life. It has won popularity on account of its motivating power.
- “Good Timber” As a Representative of Competition in Life: The poet presents the example of a tree to teach the lifelong lesson that fighting with valor for one’s rights makes one the master of their fate. However, it all depends on how much effort is put into the competition for life. The poet says that a tree that never goes high to win air, sunlight, and open space does not become the king of the forest. And the same goes with such calm and reserved persons who never toil or fight to get more. In fact, he is of the view that, like the good timber that does not “grow with ease” such great people do not become heroes without much toil. A hard and tough competition awaits both such trees and such heroes. His final argument rests on the last verse, “This is the common law of life.”
- Major Themes in “Good Timber”: Competition in life, effort, and hard work are three major thematic strands of this poem. By using the extended metaphor of a tree, the poet wants to teach that more effort and more hard work win a person’s high status in society, like that of a tree that grows tall and seems the king of the forest. However, this, the poet argues, is a common law that if you do more hard work and put more effort into your work, you ultimately win the competition. This is the competition of life, and it continues until death. Therefore, the poem has a moral as well as a mundane lesson that is about hard work, effort, struggle, and toiling.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Good Timber
Douglas Malloch used various literary devices to beautify his poem. Some of the major literary devices used in this poem show their impact on its beauty.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /e/ in “The tree that never had to fight” and the sound of /o/ in “But stood out in the open plain.”
- Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick succession, such as the sound of /m/ in “manly man.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /m/ in “Never became a manly man” and the sound of /s/ in “Whose broken branches show the scars.”
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example;
And they hold counsel with the stars
Whose broken branches show the scars
Of many winds and much of strife.
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Douglas Malloch has used imagery in this poem such as “Good timber does not grow with ease”, “By sun and cold, by rain or snow” and “Where thickest lies the forest growth.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects that are different in nature. Douglas Malloch has used the extended metaphor of a tree to show the significance of struggle and hard work in life.
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem shows symbols such as trees, wind, storm, and strength to compare them with life’s struggles.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Good Timber
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- End Rhyme: End rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. Douglas Malloch has used end rhyme in this poem, such as “fight/light, plain/rain, and king/thing.
- Repetition: This device is used to emphasize a point. The poem shows the use of repetition of some verses, such as “For sun and sky and air and light.”
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows the AABBCC rhyme scheme, and this pattern continues until the end.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are four stanzas in this poem, with each comprising six verses.
Quotes to be Used
The following lines are useful to quote when talking about the significance of old men in life.
We find the patriarchs of both.
And they hold counsel with the stars.