Edna St. Vincent Millay is a poet of sorrowful emotions. Almost all of her works deal with the theme of loss, pain, sorrow, etc. Song of a Second April is a poem that seems to be a joyful one in the beginning until you read the last two lines.
Song of a Second April is easily understandable; there are no complex metaphors, allusions, etc used here. Yet in this simple description, the poet succeeds to deliver the impact.
Let’s take a look at the poem and then at the meaning of it.
Song of a Second April by Edna St. Vincent Millay
April this year, not otherwise Than April of a year ago, Is full of whispers, full of sighs, Of dazzling mud and dingy snow; Hepaticas that pleased you so Are here again, and butterflies. There rings a hammering all day, And shingles lie about the doors; In orchards near and far away The grey wood-pecker taps and bores; The men are merry at their chores, And children earnest at their play. The larger streams run still and deep, Noisy and swift the small brooks run Among the mullein stalks the sheep Go up the hillside in the sun, Pensively,—only you are gone, You that alone I cared to keep.
Meaning of the Poem
To better understand the poem’s meaning, let’s divide the poem into three parts and look at these parts individually.
April this year, not otherwise
Than April of a year ago,
Is full of whispers, full of sighs,
Of dazzling mud and dingy snow;
Hepaticas that pleased you so
Are here again, and butterflies.
The first stanza gives the readers a hint about the theme of the poem. While it might seem that the poem is about the month of April and the season that comes with it, it is actually highlighting the difference between the two April.
The poet says that this April is a bit different from the one that came last year; this time the month is somber, and there is something off about it.
The mud is dazzling with the snow on them, while the snow looks dingy because of the mud on it. Then the poet mentions a “you,” saying that this person liked the Hepatica flowers.
There rings a hammering all day,
And shingles lie about the doors;
In orchards near and far away
The grey wood-pecker taps and bores;
The men are merry at their chores,
And children earnest at their play.
The second stanza describes the life and the world around the poet during April. The butterflies are there, the woodpecker is doing what it does. Everything feels so normal. People are enjoying their days and children are busy playing around.
The second stanza is used to establish a sense of normality in the poem. It says that the world is the same, just as it used to be. Then how is April different from last year?
The larger streams run still and deep,
Noisy and swift the small brooks run
Among the mullein stalks the sheep
Go up the hillside in the sun,
Pensively,—only you are gone,
You that alone I cared to keep.
The third and final stanza again starts with all the things being the same way they were before. But then as we approach the final lines, the tone of the poem changes completely.
This poem that was talking about a day normal day in April becomes a poem about the loss with just two lines;
—only you are gone, You that alone I cared to keep.
Now we understand why April did not feel like April before. Someone very important is missing from her life, someone that she wishes was present here.
Now when you read the poem again, all the things that seemed normal start to show their significance. Everything that the poet observed reminded her of this person’s absence. While people enjoyed the season, she kept reminiscing.
She doesn’t care about all the things that are happening around her; the snow, the mud, the woodpecker, the butterflies, etc. All she cared about was having this person, and he/she is not here.
Absence in Abundance
One of the main themes of the poem is how people can be surrounded by people and things, and yet get the feeling of being lonely just because that one person is missing.
No matter how beautiful the world gets around her, she cannot feel the happiness for the one person she cared to have is not present.
The readers do not know who this person was, or what relationship he/she had with her, but we do not need to know that to feel what she was feeling.
Our mind fills in the blank space as we start to think about a person who is missing from our lives. In a sense, this poem shows us a mirror, and everyone who has lost someone in any way will see their reflection clearly.