Curious analogy in Tennyson's "Love and Death"

[milo]

A quick google shows you've already asked this question elsewhere in the last couple of days -- homework assignment?

No, it's not a homework assignment. Believe it or not, I am a lover of poetry who likes discussing questions he may have with certain poems. I asked this question on english.stackexchange which was placed on hold since it violated their standards. I thought I might find people with the same eagerness and enthusiasm for poetry on here that I have.

It's far simpler than that. The tree is life. As long as we are alive, there is the shadow of death but love transcends death in that love continues after death. Yah, its pretty cheesy but brilliantly written enough to rise above the twee. (See what I did there?)

Also, note the religious overtones. It is important that the poem could be read as purely a religious poem without romantic merit.