Ode on the Spring is a poem written by Thomas Gray.
Stanza-Wise Explanation
Stanza 1 (Lines 1-10)
Spring has arrived. The beautiful, rosy-complexioned Hours, which attend upon the beautiful goddess Venus, have made their appearance and have brought into view the buds which had long been waiting to be opened and become full-fledged flowers. The Hours of spring wake up the year which has been asleep during the winter and which is now endowed with the colours of spring. Spring is the season when the nightingale sings. The nightingale sings in response to the cuckoo’s song. Both these birds sing sweet songs, and they sing spontaneously, without having been taught how to sing. These birds represent the music of spring. Another feature of spring is that cool winds blow through the clear blue sky, and they seem to be producing low sounds expressive of their delight in the course of their swift movement. These cool winds and breezes scatter their sweet smell (or, they scatter the sweet smell of the flowers) everywhere.
Stanza 2 (Lines 11-20)
In this stanza the poet first gives us a picture of the oak with its thick branches casting a shade on the ground below, making it look brown. This shade is a large one. Then he gives us a picture of the beech which has a rough and uneven trunk on which moss is growing. This beech also casts a shade on the ground below. Next, the poet imagines that he would be sitting on the river-side where a kind of grass known as the “rush” is growing, and that he would be joined there by the goddess of poetry. Both of them would sit comfortably in a half-sleeping posture and in a rural style. Together they would think of the futility of the noise and tumult which the city crowds produce in the pursuit of their various activities; and together they would think of how insignificant, unimportant, and meaningless are the high status and the wealth of persons who live in the cities and who are proud of their wealth and position.
Stanza 3 (Lines 21-30)
The shepherd, who busily and anxiously looks after the welfare of his sheep and who has to work very hard, is resting at this time and is therefore making no movements or noise. The sheep, which had been running about breathlessly during the day, are also now at rest. (Or, the sheep which were breathless on account of the heat are now peaceful). And yet the silence is not absolute or complete. Certain sounds are audible. In fact, the air seems to be thick with sounds which indicate some kind of activity, though these sounds are low. The sounds are coming from the insects which are passing through the prime of their existence, and which are fluttering their wings as they fly about through the air. These insects are eager to taste the sweetness of the flowers which bloom during this season (namely spring). These insects fly in a leisurely manner on the surface of some brook at noon-time. Some of these insects fly lightly over the flowing water of the brook and they almost touch the surface in the course of their flight, while others are making a display of their bright colours and their neat wings. The insects cast quick glances upwards to look at the sun.
Stanza 4 (Lines 31-40)
To the eyes of a serious-minded and contemplative on-looker, such also is the fast journey of a human being through life. The insects, both those which crawl on the ground and those which fly through the air, shall end their existence in the same way as they began. The insects of both kinds, whether they are busy or whether they are carefree, spend their short existence, merely fluttering their wings, regardless of every other consideration. They are all dressed in the different colours with which Fate has endowed them. Some of these insects shall get killed by an accidental blow from someone, and some of them shall die a natural death in due course. These flying insects Would ultimately cease their movements through the air and would end their existence to rest on the ground below where they would mingle with the dust.
Stanza 5 (Lines 41-50)
In these lines, the poet says that the insects, about which he has spoken in the preceding lines, have something to say to him in reply to his description of their lives. The insects address him as an unfortunate preacher of lessons to others while his own life has less worth than theirs. His own life is much worse than theirs, say the insects. They compare him to a fly that moves about all alone. They point out to him that he has no brightly and attractively dressed woman to keep him company and serve as a source of pleasure to him. They further say that he does not have any collection of pleasures from which he can draw any happiness whenever he may want to enjoy it. He has no gaudy equipment to boast of, and he has no showy or colourful possessions to display. If their lives are short, the poet’s youth is also short-lived. The poet’s years of youth have almost ended, and the most enjoyable period of his life is therefore over. Finally, the insects say that they are more fortunate than the poet because, while the poet’s years of youth are over, they are still enjoying the warmth of spring and are flying about merrily.