Spring and Fall

"Spring and Fall" is a poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins that explores the passage of time and the way that it shapes our experience of the world. The poem is written in a form known as "sprung rhythm," which involves the use of irregular syllable counts and stresses in order to create a sense of movement and flow. The poem also makes use of various kinds of imagery, including nature imagery and personification, to convey its themes.

The poem begins with the speaker addressing a person named Margaret and asking if she is grieving over the "unleaving" of the Goldengrove trees, which represents the end of spring and the passage of one season into another. The speaker suggests that as we get older, we become more accepting of the impermanence of things and are less affected by the loss of spring and the other changes that come with it.

The poem also explores the theme of loss and how we cope with it. Margaret is described as grieving over the loss of spring and the falling of the leaves, which suggests that she is struggling to come to terms with the loss of something that was once a source of joy and beauty. The speaker suggests that this is a universal experience, and that all of us will encounter loss and sorrow in our lives.

The poem further employs personification, as it attributes human-like qualities to the leaves of the trees. For example, the leaves are described as having "fresh thoughts" and as caring for things. This personification helps to further emphasize the idea that the leaves and the passing of spring are connected to human experiences of loss and change.

Here is an explanation of the poem line by line:

"Margaret, are you grieving Over Goldengrove unleaving?"

The speaker of the poem addresses a person named Margaret and asks if she is feeling sad because the leaves of the Goldengrove trees are falling off, which signals the end of spring.

"Leaves, like the things of man, you With your fresh thoughts care for, can you?"

The speaker compares the leaves of the trees to the "things of man," or the things that humans care about, and asks Margaret if she is able to continue caring for these things despite the loss of spring.

"Ah! as the heart grows older It will come to such sights colder By and by, nor spare a sigh Though worlds of wanwood leafmeal lie; And yet you will weep and know why. Now no matter, child, the name: Sorrow's springs are the same."

The speaker says that as one grows older, they become less affected by the loss of spring and the falling of the leaves. However, Margaret, who is referred to as a "child," will still feel sadness and will understand the reason for her tears. The speaker then says that it does not matter what the cause of Margaret's sadness is, because all sources of sorrow are the same.

"Nor mouth had, no nor mind, expressed What heart heard of, ghost guessed: It is the blight man was born for, It is Margaret you mourn for."

The speaker says that neither Margaret's mouth nor mind was able to express the thoughts and feelings that her heart heard and that the ghost (spirit) guessed. The speaker then says that the loss of spring and the passing of time is a natural part of life and that Margaret is mourning for this universal human experience.

Overall, "Spring and Fall" is a poignant and thought-provoking poem that invites us to consider the impermanence of things and the way that we cope with loss, and encourages us to find meaning and purpose in the midst of change and uncertainty.

Gerard Manley Hopkins, Nature poetry, Sprung rhythm, Goldengrove trees