6. CE 201 - The Olive Tree by Mark O'Connor
Channel: Ishan Marvel
Date: 2020-10-30

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQsVQP0FAsA&list=PLTSoWRKkWJTZHH9sr7bmr37Wd16TTbRbr
From Ripples on the Sands of Time

MARK O'CONNOR
* Born 1945, one of Australia's best-known contemporary poetrs -- written numerous books 
and won various awards.
* Gave up career as a university teacher to just write poetry and stories.
* An environmentalist, so his poetry often celebrates nature, particularly the unique diversity of Australia -- from deserts to rain forests, to mountains and coral reefs. He often works with environmental photographers for such purposes.

THE OLIVE TREE
* Written when O'Connor was living in Italy, which is known for its olive oil.
* At the literal level, the poem is about the longevity of the olive tree -- how it
resurfaces in spite of drought, fire, war, etc.
* This metaphor may be extended to the resilience of nature and the human spirit as well, which in spite of all the atrocities revives itself from time to time -- for the olive branch is also a symbol for peace, and thus, the poet suggests that in spite of all the horrors the human race may inflict upon itself and the earth, peace and nature shall ultimately prevail.