Why are you doing it this year, Spring? Why do you do this useless thing? Do you not know there are no men now? Why do you put on an apple bough Buds, and in a girl's heart, thronging Strange emotions: -- fear, and longing, Eager flight, and shy pursuing, Noble thoughts for her undoing; Wondering, accepting, straining, Wistful seizing, and refraining; Stern denying, answering? -- -- Why do you toil so drolly, Spring? Why do you scheme and urge and plan To make a girl's heart ripe for a man? While the men are herded together where Death is the woman with whom they pair? Back fall my words to my listening ear. Spring is deaf, and she cannot hear. Spring is blind, and she cannot see. She does not know what war may be. Spring goes by, with her age-old sowing Of seeds in each girl's heart, kind, unknowing. And, too, in @3my@1 heart (Spring, take heed!) Now in my own has fallen a seed. (Spring, give over!) I cringe, afraid. (Though I suffer, harm no other maid!) I hide my eyes, a budding tree Is so terrible to see. I stop my ears, a bird song clear Is a dreadful thing to hear. Seeds in each girl's heart Spring goes throwing. O the crop of pain that is growing! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...FRINGED GENTIAN by EMILY DICKINSON PRECIOUS WORDS by EMILY DICKINSON THE HOUSE OF LIFE: 90. 'RETRO ME, SATHANA!' by DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI PRAYER FOR A BOY WITH A KITE by DOROTHY P. ALBAUGH THE CROSS; TO THE MOTHERS OF THE MARTYRED DEAD UPON FIELD OF BATTLE by JOSEPHINE TURCK BAKER |