Snow
In the poem ‘’Snow’’, the narrator describes the changing of seasons and mentions how winter it is her favorite season. Winter is personified here and is described as a man, coming from the north. His manner differs from one year to another, sometimes his presence being announced by rain ‘’tapping’’ on the narrator’s window while other times it comes dressed in a white robe and bringing snow with him.
In the second stanza the narrator talks about snow and how it gives dignity to the world. The snow is describes as being pure and smooth and as having the ability to make normal things appear regal by crowning them. The second stanza ends with the narrator alluding how a snow-covered scenery is the most pure and close to heaven sight a human can experience on this earth.
In the third stanza the narrator moves to present the snow from the perspectives of the beings living in the sea and the urchin is mentioned. The fish are happy to see the snow and they are slowly covered by a thick blanket of snow, just like a child is tucked in his bed by his mother.
The last stanza is the conclusion of the poem and the narrator mentions her childhood, when she was told stories by her nurse. From that moment, the narrator developed a passion for fairytales and those feelings were always related to her with the image of now.
Christmas Tide
The first stanza opens with the narrator mentioning the beginning of spring and a few elements characteristic for this season. The narrator mentions how spring is a ‘’merry’’ time, showing how may have feelings of happiness associated with this season. Nature starts to bloom and birds, insects and animals return, creating the impression of liveliness. The last stanza ends with the narrator mentioning how even though many are happy during spring, she does not din any happiness in it and would rather enjoy winter. The last line ‘’And wake with warm flush at Christmas tide’’ showing thus just how much she enjoys winter above everything else.
The next stanza focuses on the summer time and the narrator mentions how many feel joy in seeing the green scenery during summer and basking in the sun and the summer heat. The narrator mentions various plants such as tulips and vines but she ends the second stanza with the claim that those who love winter love above everything else the sight of the green wreath and the holly-berries.
The third stanza focuses on autumn and the abundance it comes with it. Wine, grapes and various fruits and vegetables are mentioned once more as well as the happy people spending time in nature, walking through ‘’fields of gold’’. Despite all this, the third stanza ends with the narrator longing for the long winter nights and for the feelings she experienced during Christmas time, something she can’t replace with anything else.
In the fourth stanza the narrator presents the beginning of winter, the coming of frost affecting the once rapid rivers and the appearance of ‘’King Frost’’. Despite presenting a quite gloomy image, the narrator climes everything becomes better when fires are lit inside houses and people gather around the fire, being with one another.
The noise from inside the houses has the purpose of scaring away and mocking the storm outside. The poem ends with the narrator urging those who have the financial means to not think only about themselves but to remember the poor ones as well and to try everything they can to make life better for them as well.
Spring
The poem ‘’Spring’’ begins with the narrator welcoming spring and calling the season ‘’young’’. The narrator mentions beauty as being a characteristic of spring as well as sunshine and the presence of wonderful smells in the air. A myriad of songs are also present, birds coming back and people starting working on the fields once more and bringing music with them.
Song is seen here as the way the earth worships spring and thus it receives a special place in the world. The fourth stanza ends with the narrator claiming that for those who are healthy, spring is the most wonderful time of the year but for someone who suffers, it is just a reminder of something they will never have.
The next two stanzas present a somehow similar image, talking about the beauty of flowers but also how those flowers can grow on graves and thus have their beauty diminished. The poem ends with the narrator welcoming spring once more.
The Old Arm-Chair
The poem mentioned above is one of the author’s most known poems and it has as its main theme the idea of remembering the past. The narrator begins the poem by declaring how much she loves the old armchair. For her, it is almost like a saint and she shared with the chair tears as well as sighs. The chair is sacred because it was used by mothers and thus it has imbedded in it the idea of caring.
The second stanza talks about the narrator’s mother who used to sit on the chair and talk with her daughter, teaching her everything she needed to know about life. The chair was also the place where the narrator discovered religion and thus it had an important part in her religious education as well.
Years passed and the mother continued to stay in the chair until one day she died. That moment represented a turning point in the narrator’s life because her life changed drastically.
In the last stanza the narrator addresses the reader directly, claiming that even though the sight of the chair makes her heart ache, it is also a reminder of everything her mother thought her and thus it is an important part of her life she can’t give up.
