How we cite our quotes: (Line)
Quote #1
Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
Is hung with bloom along the bough, (1-2)
The key word here is "bloom," because it tells what time of year it is (late spring). The blooming cherry symbolizes life and rebirth. Even though the clock is always ticking, there's always time for new beginnings.
Quote #2
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide. (3-4)
"Eastertide" is a word that describes the roughly two-month period right after Easter. Like "bloom" earlier, this word also tells us that it is spring time. It also tells us that this is a time of rebirth because the reference to Easter makes us think of Jesus, and his death and resurrection.
Quote #3
Now, of my threescore years and ten,
Twenty will not come again, (5-6)
Time is always passing, and the speaker thinks of his life in terms of how much time has already gone by, or gone bye-bye. Instead of saying "I'm 20," he basically says, "I'll never get those 20 years back." Hmm, seems kind of like the glass is half-empty doesn't it?
Quote #4
And take from seventy springs a score,
It only leaves me fifty more. (7-8)
The speaker can do math, that's for sure. Here, we see him calculating how much time he has left, based on how long he has lived. The passage of time is on his mind, and it's almost like he's checking all his facts to remind himself that he doesn't have forever to enjoy what's out there.
Quote #5
And since to look at things in bloom
Fifty springs are little room,
About the woodlands I will go
To see the cherry hung with snow. (9-12)
Time is our master, and there's no getting around that fact. "Fifty springs" aren't enough to get everything done, the speaker says, so he plans on cheating time the best he can. Well, he's not really cheating time, but he's definitely gonna make that 50 years worth it.