How we cite our quotes: (Line)
Quote #1
The force that through the green fuse drives the flower (1)
The poem's first line screams youth in a couple of ways. First, we've got the word "green." Green typically represents youth and vitality. There's also the sound of this line. The alliteration and the repeated iambs (for more on this check out "Sound Check" and "Form and Meter") give this line a sense of energy and urgency. This sound is coupled with strong active words like "force," "fuse," "drives," and "blasts" to give this opening line a passionate, youthful, vital feeling.
Quote #2
Drives my green age; that blasts the roots of trees (2)
There's that word "green" again. This time, the word "green" is modifying the word "age," creating a metaphor for youth. Thomas wanted to make sure we were picking up what he was laying down when it came to youth. We got it, D, we got it.
Quote #3
My youth is bent by the same wintry fever. (5)
Youth is mentioned directly for first and only time in this line. Unfortunately, the speaker's youth has been "bent" by a "wintry fever" (a.k.a., time). So, as the first stanza comes to an end, we are left with an image of time's crippling effect on youth. By creating such a strong sense of youth and vitality in the poem's opening stanza, the destruction of youth feels even more dramatic as the poem proceeds.