Spring and Fall Themes

Guess what, Shmoopers: we're all going to die. No, seriously. Not to bum you out, or anything, of course. Hopkins's "Spring and Fall" is about the moment in a child's life when she or he realizes t...

"Spring and Fall" is dedicated "to a young child," so you can bet that innocence will be a major theme. Margaret, the little kid to whom the poem is addressed, begins the poem by innocently "grievi...

"Spring and Fall" opens with a little girl, Margaret, "grieving." What's she so sad about? The speaker offers one possibility at the opening of the poem—she's sad that the leaves are falling off...

The speaker of "Spring and Fall" explains that the "name" of sorrow doesn't matter. Everyone is really just sad about the same thing: death. So, whether or not you're able to articulate the reason...