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...ESTRANGEMENT by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON EPITAPH ON HIMSELF by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE POETA FIT, NON NASCITUR by CHARLES LUTWIDGE DODGSON THE WANDER-LOVERS by RICHARD HOVEY THE COUNTY OF MAYO by THOMAS LAVELLE THIS IS NOT I by FRANCES DAVIS ADAMS THE BLUEBELLS OF NEW ENGLAND by THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH |