April Aubade by Sylvia Plath Summary

Worship this world of watercolor mood
in glass pagodas hung with veils of green
where diamonds jangle hymns within the blood
and sap ascends the steeple of the vein.

A saintly sparrow jargons madrigals
to waken dreamers in the milky dawn,
while tulips bow like a college of cardinals
before that papal paragon, the sun.

Christened in a spindrift of snowdrop stars,
where on pink-fluted feet the pigeons pass
and jonquils sprout like solomon’s metaphors,
my love and I go garlanded with grass.

Again we are deluded and infer
that somehow we are younger than we were.

The poem “April Aubade” by Sylvia Plath celebrates the beauty and vitality of springtime, using vivid imagery and metaphors to depict the awakening of nature and the renewal of life.

In the poem, the speaker encourages us to appreciate the world around us, which is described as having a mood like a watercolor painting. They urge us to admire the beauty of nature, depicted as glass pagodas adorned with green veils, where diamonds sparkle like hymns in our blood and sap rises like a steeple in our veins.

The speaker compares a sparrow’s song to a madrigal, a type of joyful song, which serves to awaken dreamers as the day begins. Tulips are described as bowing like cardinals, a reference to their vibrant red color, before the sun, which is compared to a papal figure, symbolizing its importance and power in the natural world.

The poem continues with imagery of snowdrop stars and pigeons with pink feet, creating a picture of a magical and enchanting world. Jonquils, a type of flower, are likened to metaphors from the Bible, suggesting the richness and depth of nature’s symbolism.

The speaker shares that they and their beloved are garlanded with grass, implying that they are adorned or surrounded by the beauty of the natural world. Despite this beauty, the speaker acknowledges that they are deluded into thinking they are somehow younger than they truly are, perhaps suggesting a longing for the innocence and vitality of youth.

Overall, “April Aubade” celebrates the arrival of spring and the rejuvenation of nature, encouraging us to embrace the beauty and vitality that surrounds us. Through its rich imagery and metaphors, the poem invites us to appreciate the wonders of the natural world and to find joy in its renewal and growth.