The Argument of His Book

The poem opens with the assertion of the first-person speaker of the poem. The speaker states, “I sing […]” (Line 1). Readers are thus prepared to receive the thoughts and emotions of the poem’s speaker. The initial imagery the speaker presents is bright and full of life. They sing of “brooks,” “blossoms,” “birds” and “bowers” (Line 1). A “bower” refers to a shelter or retreat made with tree branches or vines. All the direct objects of the sentence, everything about which the speaker sings, refers to nature. Specifically, they refer to springtime, which continues into the second line. The speaker continues listing the topics of their song: They sing of “April, May, of June, and July flowers” (Line 2). The speaker’s focus, and therefore the focus of their readers, is on new life and rebirth.

This celebration of life carries into the following description of “May-poles,” “hock-carts,” “wassails,” and “wakes” (Line 3). All of these topics refer to celebrations and holidays. The “May-pole” is a pole erected and decorated in greenery used for ceremonial dancing in various European holidays typically taking place between May and June. “Hock-carts” refer to prosperity and abundance, as they are the carts that bring in the harvest.