Comment on the ending of the poem Thyrsis The ending of Matthew Arnold s - Thyrsis is both sad and hopeful Throughout the poem the poet feels deep grief because of the death of his friend Arthur Hugh Clough whom he calls Thyrsis But in the final stanzas the poem slowly moves toward a positive and uplifting message The Symbol of the Tree At the end Arnold sees the Tree a special tree on a hill that he and his friend used to visit Though he cannot reach the tree because of the night fog he is happy to know that our tree yet crowns the hill This tree becomes a strong symbol of hope and memory It means that the spirit of his friend still lives on in nature and in the poet s heart The Scholar Gipsy Still Lives Arnold also brings back the image of the Scholar