Climbing

Climbing
By Amy Lowell

High up in the apple tree climbing I go,
With the sky above me, the earth below.
Each branch is the step of a wonderful stair
Which leads to the town I see shining up there.

Climbing, climbing, higher and higher,
The branches blow and I see a spire,
The gleam of a turret, the glint of a dome,
All sparkling and bright, like white sea foam.

On and on, from bough to bough,
The leaves are thick, but I push my way through;
Before, I have always had to stop,
But to-day I am sure I shall reach the top.

Today to the end of the marvelous stair,
Where those glittering pinacles flash in the air!
Climbing, climbing, higher I go,
With the sky close above me, the earth far below.

About the Poem

Amy Lowell’s poem “Climbing” is a short but evocative piece that explores the themes of perseverance, aspiration, and the struggle inherent in personal growth. The poem uses the extended metaphor of climbing a tree to symbolize the effort needed to overcome challenges and reach a goal. The poem emphasizes the difficulty of the climb, suggesting that progress is not easy but requires effort and resilience. The speaker’s journey upwards reflects an inner struggle, possibly one of ambition, self-improvement, or personal enlightenment.

Lowell often draws on nature in her poetry to reflect human emotions and experiences. The act of climbing could symbolize not just a physical effort but an emotional or intellectual journey. Despite the challenges, the act of climbing can also be rewarding. The higher one goes, the more perspective is gained, reinforcing the idea that struggle leads to greater understanding or achievement. Lowell, known for her imagist poetry, employs concise, vivid imagery to make the climb feel immediate and tangible. Her work often focuses on sensory details, so readers might feel the roughness of the terrain, the exertion of the journey, or the exhilaration of reaching higher ground.

About the Poet

Amy Lowell (1874–1925) was an influential American poet, critic, and promoter of the Imagist movement in early 20th-century poetry. Born into a wealthy and prominent Boston family, she had access to a strong education but was largely self-taught in poetry. Though she never attended college, she was well-read and deeply interested in literature.

Lowell became a major advocate for Imagism, a movement that emphasized clarity, precision, and economy of language in poetry. While Imagism was initially associated with poets like Ezra Pound and H.D. (Hilda Doolittle), Lowell became one of its most prominent figures after Pound distanced himself from the movement. She published multiple collections, including Sword Blades and Poppy Seed (1914), Men, Women, and Ghosts (1916), and Pictures of the Floating World (1919). Her poetry often used free verse, striking imagery, and themes of nature, love, and modern life.

Lowell was an outspoken and unconventional figure, known for her strong personality and advocacy for poetry. She was also in a committed relationship with actress Ada Dwyer Russell, and her poetry frequently contains themes of passionate love, often interpreted as inspired by their relationship. Her later years were dedicated to promoting poetry, both through her own work and through lectures and criticism. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry posthumously in 1926 for What’s O’Clock (1925). Despite being somewhat overshadowed by male contemporaries during her lifetime, Lowell’s work has gained renewed recognition, especially for her role in modernizing poetry and expanding the Imagist movement.