Unchopping a tree by W.S. Merwin Summary

 Unchopping a tree by W.S. Merwin

The writer W.S. Merwin in the essay "Unchopping a tree" has coined the word unchopping, by which he refers to reversing the process of chopping a tree. The writer in the essay sets us on a mission to resurrect a tree. However, by the time the essay reaches its climax, we understand that unchopping a tree has been a futile effort and that once the damage is done to the environment, it becomes an irreversible process.

The writer begins the essay  by directing us to collect the leaves, things which need to be fixed back into branches of a tree. The tree also contained structure such as birds nest, beehives, spider webs, hoards of nuts which all needed to be repaired. In the case of spider web we lack the natural substance to attach the broken spider's webs, neither will we be able to provide nourishment to the leaves we have attached to the branches. The writer expresses our helplessness to deal with this situation, but all we can do is give our best effort. 

The initial process of resurrecting the tree is followed by taking the help of tackle and scaffolding to make the trees stand again. As the tree rises above the ground, we find our trees really beautiful but the writer reminds us that our tree also is dead and that we never cared for its beauty when the trees were alive. The writer thus tries to drive home the point that we never care for the beauty of trees until their destruction invite the destruction of human civilization. 

In the process of the repair work, we need to put back the barks of the trees as well. The writer cleverly advises us to use semi liquid or transparent adhesive to attach the barks back into the trees. In the process of hundred percent repair work we need to fill the trees with sap, the living liquid responsible for conducting life inside a tree. The writer adds that we do not have the ability to recreate the magic of sap, but we will at least pay our tribute to sap by filling the fibers with adhesives that naturally run into them.

Following a hard days work, we come back to our trees again the next morning, hoping for a clam, quiet and a still day. As we remove the scaffolding, the trees once again stands on its own vertically, erect above the ground. We feel that this is like as dream come true. But, we at the same time also understand that our tree is weak, fragile and it is not going to last long. We know that a slight gush of wind is enough to flatten our tree again. 

As we look up in a mode of prayer, we feel that even the motion of the cloud is enough to break our trees again. The writer finally concludes his saying that in our attempt to save this trees, there is nothing more we can do, as we leave this tree and go elsewhere because elsewhere another tree has been cut and we need to do the repair work to that tree as well.