The Problem of Describing Trees

The Problem of Describing Trees
by Robert Hass

The argument in the poem The Problem if Describing Trees is that there are not enough words to truly describe what trees do.  There can be several different ways to phrase what one sees, but to fully capture the beauty and movement in the nature of trees is impossible.  Hass starts his poem attempting to describe what the aspen is doing, but as the poem progresses the reader sees him stop himself and reassess what he's saying.  Finally, the poem ends with "The aspen doing something in the wind", demonstrating that Hass feels that he cannot describe the tree but instead one should experience it themselves since there are so many ways to see it.

"Dance with me, dancer. Oh, I will" 
The speaker of this line in the poem is the poet asking the reader to believe the words that he is saying.  He wants the reader to dance with him, meaning come along with him while attempting to find the right words to describe this tree.  Searching for the words is a dance of sorts because of the effort and movement dancing around the right words is.  The line before refers to poetry, so one can see that the speaker here wants the reader to entertain him for a minute while he tries to fully explain himself through words in poetry.