If it weren't for the fact that Rossetti never married, I might almost guess the speaker's secret is that she's pregnant. She sounds like a woman dropping sly hints about an expected 'blessed event'.
Maybe even so we should divorce the speaker from the poet and entertain the possibility that that's what she's hinting at?
"Spring’s an expansive time"
"Perhaps some languid summer day,
When drowsy birds sing less and less,
And golden fruit is ripening to excess,"
Imagery of hiding her figure under wraps, concealment. Then expansion in spring. Then fertility and ripening and summertime languor... sounds like the progression of a pregnancy to me.
"Perhaps my secret I may say,
Or you may guess"
If she's certain she's pregnant in winter, she'll be showing by summer. I think that's the answer to the riddle.
I love this poem, and it was such fun to read your analysis of it. It makes me think of another of hers -- "No, Thank You, John" -- though this one might be a bit more serious in tone.
If it weren't for the fact that Rossetti never married, I might almost guess the speaker's secret is that she's pregnant. She sounds like a woman dropping sly hints about an expected 'blessed event'.
Maybe even so we should divorce the speaker from the poet and entertain the possibility that that's what she's hinting at?
"Spring’s an expansive time"
"Perhaps some languid summer day,
When drowsy birds sing less and less,
And golden fruit is ripening to excess,"
Imagery of hiding her figure under wraps, concealment. Then expansion in spring. Then fertility and ripening and summertime languor... sounds like the progression of a pregnancy to me.
"Perhaps my secret I may say,
Or you may guess"
If she's certain she's pregnant in winter, she'll be showing by summer. I think that's the answer to the riddle.
I love this poem, and it was such fun to read your analysis of it. It makes me think of another of hers -- "No, Thank You, John" -- though this one might be a bit more serious in tone.
The opening four lines are actually an envelope rhyme!
ABBACC
That's pretty thematically appropriate. :)
Oh, thanks for going through all those line/stanza variations! Fun poem.