Leaves Compared With Flowers By Robert Frost With Explanation

A tree's leaves may be ever so good,

So may its bar, so may its wood;

But unless you put the right thing to its root

It never will show much flower or fruit.

But I may be one who does not care

Ever to have tree bloom or bear.

Leaves for smooth and bark for rough,

Leaves and bark may be tree enough.

Some giant trees have bloom so small

They might as well have none at all.

Late in life I have come on fern.

Now lichens are due to have their turn.

I bade men tell me which in brief,

Which is fairer, flower or leaf.

They did not have the wit to say,

Leaves by night and flowers by day.

Leaves and bar, leaves and bark,

To lean against and hear in the dark.

Petals I may have once pursued.

Leaves are all my darker mood.

source:https://allpoetry.com/Leaves-Compared-With-Flowers

ANALYSIS

The Poet is saying that a tree leaves, 

Woods, bar may live good for long time without 

Decomposition. But it will not give fruits 

And flowers until we provide right food to

Its root.

But the poet does not care about the 

Good and bad thing about the tree.

Leaves signifies good and bark

Signifies bad. Leaves and bark both 

These are enough for being a tree.

Some huge trees have very little bloom

Sometimes with no bloom at all.

After life, I have become like a plant having no flower.

Now it's time of lichens to bloom.

I have asked, in short

Which one is fairer, either flower or leaf.

But they had no intelligence to answer this "leaves in the night and flowers during day".

Leaves and bar , leaves and bark all are against each other in the competition of being more beautiful in the dark.

I have already decided that petals by day. Leaves are similar to my darker mood.

ABOUT THE POEM

It is a poem in which the poet is talking about the good and bad things about the tree.

A tree can not provide fruits and flowers until we provide right nutrients to its roots.

The poet does not cares about  the beauty and the ugliness of a tree. Leaves for beauty

and bark for ugliness. Some big trees have very little beauty sometimes nothing at all.

He is saying that after life everyone has to become similar to tree without bloom.

He wants to know which one is good either beauty or ugliness. However both are part of life. Leaves and bark all are important. 

ABOUT THE POET

Robert Frost (source: Wikipedia)

NAME	ROBERT FROST
DATE OF BIRTH	MARCH 26, 1874
DATE OF DEATH	JANUARY 29, 1963
COUNTRY	AMERICAN
SPOUSE	ELINOR MIRIAM WHITE
OCCUPATION	POET, PLAYWRIGHT
CHILDREN	SIX
PROFILE	CLICK HERE