Poetry · Chapter
My April Lady explained
The poem describes a woman whose moods shift from joyful morning laughter to tearful evening grief, ultimately revealing that her true essence is love.
What happens
The poem describes a woman whose moods shift from joyful morning laughter to tearful evening grief, ultimately revealing that her true essence is love.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Sacrifice
The poem concludes that the lady's true name is Love, suggesting love encompasses both joy and sorrow.
Characters to notice
- Unknown
The speaker observes the April lady's changing moods and reflects on her nature.
Key passages
“When down the stair at morning / The sunbeams round her float, / Sweet rivulets of laughter / Are rippling in her throat; / The gladness of her greeting / Is gold without alloy; / And in the morning sunlight / I think her name is Joy.”
In the morning, she descends the stairs surrounded by sunlight, laughing sweetly, and her pure happiness makes the speaker think of her as Joy.
Describes the lady's joyful morning demeanor.
“When in the evening twilight / The quiet book-room lies, / We read the sad old ballads, / While from her hidden eyes / The tears are falling, falling, / That give her heart relief; / And in the evening twilight, / I think her name is Grief.”
In the evening, they read sorrowful ballads in the quiet library, and she cries, finding relief; the speaker then thinks of her as Grief.
Describes the lady's sorrowful evening mood.
“My little April lady, / Of sunshine and of showers / She weaves the old spring magic, / And my heart breaks in flowers! / But when her moods are ended, / She nestles like a dove; / Then, by the pain and rapture, / I know her name is Love.”
She combines sunny and rainy moods like spring, enchanting the speaker. Once her moods pass, she cuddles gently, and the speaker realizes her true name is Love.
Reveals that beneath her changing moods, her essence is love.