they thrum and burn and twist with life

[Mnemon]

The yew tree is the most important of all the healing trees.
Why?
Its berries, its bark, they thrum and burn and twist with life. It can cure almost any ailment.

From the movie "A Monster Calls"


Hello.
What does the part in bold mean to you?

 

[Jemima23]

Not a teacher.

At first glance (and with no context) it seems to mean just that - it is a tree with strong healing powers. However, if I had to guess, I'd say that the yew tree as a whole is probably meant as some sort of metaphor in the context of the story.

Just googled it - https://www.litcharts.com/lit/a-monster-calls/symbols/the-yew-tree

 

[Tdol]

Yew trees were often grown in cemeteries in the UK because they were surrounded by walls, as the seeds of the berries are poisonous, but the wood was very good for making bows.