Final answer:
In 'Loveliest of Trees, the Cherry Now,' symbols like the cherry tree emphasize the brief nature of life and the value of appreciating its beauty. Lines 'Now, of my threescore years and ten, / Twenty will not come again' and 'Fifty springs are little room,' highlight the theme of seizing the moment to enjoy nature.
Step-by-step explanation:
In A.E. Housman's poem Loveliest of Trees, the Cherry Now, the cherry tree serves as a symbol of life's fleeting beauty and the imperative to appreciate nature and life while it lasts. The lines that best support the theme that people should take pleasure in nature during their short lives are from the second stanza:
'Now, of my threescore years and ten,
Twenty will not come again,
And since to look at things in bloom
Fifty springs are little room.'
The speaker reflects on the brevity of life, recognizing that out of a lifespan of seventy years ('threescore years and ten'), twenty have already passed, and there is not much time ('fifty springs are little room') left to enjoy the simple beauty of nature, encapsulated by the cherry blossoms in spring. This ultimately encourages readers to cherish their experiences and the natural world around them.