Symbol Analysis
As you might have guessed from the title, Spring is a pretty important part of this poem. Eventually, it emerges as a kind of weird main character, taking on almost human characteristics as it changes the world of the poem.
- Lines 14-15: Our first glimpse of spring. When it shows up, it is described as being "sluggish and dazed." These words usually apply to humans, and, when they are used to describe an object or an idea like spring, that’s called personification.
- Line 25: Here’s a point that Williams fills in a little bit in other places in the book "Spring and All." The "profound change" of spring’s arrival is a metaphor for the changes that are sweeping over the whole world in the early 20th Century. World War I is over; people are producing new and exciting art and philosophy, and starting to see some new prosperity. In a general sense, spring has always been a symbol of new beginnings, but Williams definitely has some specific things to say about his moment in history.