In a green tree

The poems of this thesis, although not in chronological order, make evident two distinct periods of development. The earlier poems are characterized by the short line and a freedom from strict regularity of stanza length, rhyme scheme and metric pattern. A larger group of poems represent the period during which the poet attempts to formalize her verse by imposing various disciplines on her writing style and, at the same time, on the idea of the poem. The poetry in both periods has as its primary objective the expression of ideas and observations with clarity. There are several poems which comment on the human condition and others which are descriptive. This thesis has no unifying theme. The title was derived from the poem which represents, to the poet, a major effort and accomplishment made during the two years of writing represented