It is Not Growing Like a Tree

Quiz: It is Not Growing Like a Tree by Ben Jonson

1. Recall – Form & Context: What type of collection was It is Not Growing Like a Tree originally published in, and in what year was it published?

1. Recall – Purpose: What is the occasion or purpose for which Jonson composed this poem, and what classical tradition does it draw upon?

1. Recall – Symbols: What are the two central natural symbols Jonson uses to contrast different kinds of lives? Briefly describe what each one represents.

1. Recall – Key Image: What does the oak tree symbolize in the poem, and why does Jonson treat its great age as insufficient evidence of true greatness?

1. Comprehension – The Lily: Why does Jonson present the lily—despite its extremely brief lifespan—as the more admirable symbol? What philosophical point is he making through it?

1. Comprehension – Tone: How would you describe the tone of the poem, and how does that tone serve the poem's consolatory purpose?

1. Comprehension – Human Virtue: In the stanza focused on human virtue, how does Jonson connect the image of a flower to the idea of a good person's lasting impact on the world?

1. Analysis – "Small Proportions": Jonson presents smallness as a mark of perfection rather than a deficiency. How does this idea challenge conventional assumptions about size, duration, and value?

1. Analysis – Historical Context: How does Jonson's personal experience of loss and the broader historical context of plague-era London inform the poem's argument that a short life can be more meaningful than a long one?

1. Analysis – Classical Influence: Jonson was influenced by Latin writers such as Seneca and Horace. How is the classical consolatio tradition reflected in the poem's overall argument and philosophical tone?

Answer Key

1. It was published in Jonson's collection Underwoods in 1640, though it was likely composed earlier as an elegy or consolation piece.

1. It was likely composed to mourn someone who died young; it draws on the classical consolatio tradition, which argues that death is not the worst possible outcome.

1. The oak tree represents longevity and physical presence without moral significance; the lily represents a life that is brief but fully and beautifully lived.

1. The oak symbolizes what people conventionally admire—sheer size and persistence—but Jonson argues that simply enduring for a long time, without deeper significance or virtue, does not constitute true greatness.

1. Although the lily blooms for only a single day, it is completely beautiful and whole during that time. Jonson's philosophical point is that a brief life lived fully and with quality is more valuable than a long life of mere existence.

1. The tone is calm, reasoned, and gently comforting—like a philosopher speaking to a grieving friend. This controlled, dignified tone makes the consolation feel credible and sincere rather than hollow or overwrought.

1. Jonson compares the visible, lasting impression left by a beautiful face (or flower) to the enduring impact of good deeds, suggesting that a virtuous person continues to influence the world even after death.

1. By framing "small proportions" as a sign of perfection, Jonson inverts the assumption that bigger or longer is inherently better, arguing instead that concentrated excellence is always preferable to sprawling mediocrity.

1. Jonson lost his own son to the plague in 1603 and lived through repeated plague outbreaks that claimed many young, talented lives. This personal and social grief gives urgency to his argument that a brief, well-lived life deserves admiration rather than pity.

1. The consolatio tradition, drawn from thinkers like Seneca and Horace, provides the poem's core argument: that a short, virtuous life is superior to a long, meaningless one. Jonson adopts this framework to present grief not as something to be resisted emotionally, but as something to be reasoned through philosophically.