Letter to Truxler

The tree!  Blake had much to say about trees.
In this letter to Truxler we find Blake trying to
reason with an extreme materialist, something
he rarely tried to do.

"The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in
the eyes of others only a green thing that stands
in the way."

Years ago Ellie and I were visiting Linville
Gorge in Western NC with some magnificent
trees, one of North Carolina's primary beauty
spots, visited by hundreds of sightseers.  As
we approached it, accompanied by a large
crowd, we passed a virgin tulip poplar.  One
member of the group said,  "What a waste! It
would have brought a good price."  Like so
many of our fellowmen he didn't see the beauty
of the tree, he only saw dollars.

Thank God for William Blake!