A little madness in the Spring

A little madness in the Spring
Is wholesome even for a king,
But God be with the Clown -
Who ponders this tremendous scene -
As if it were his own!

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The excitement of spring, the budding and buzzing, is so grand that even a king, one who lives in a castle (seen above) and has it all at his disposal, finds it wholesome and fulfilling. However, if anyone thinks that they can own or possess nature at its peak, he is a clown, and God will need to help him reconcile his mistake.

Dickinson uses lots of imagery in this little poem. She calls spring “a little madness” which helps us imagine the hustle and bustle of spring as baby animals are born, greenery comes alive, and bugs awaken. This is such a “tremendous scene . . . of green,” as we imagine nature going from the gray-brown of winter to the bright green of spring. This sight is “tremendous” and “wholesome” for all who see, even for the king.

The words used to describe nature give meaning beyond the surface. “Tremendous” means “awe-inspiring,” showing the magnitude of spring’s beauty which should evoke awe and admiration. Furthermore, the word “experiment” can be defined as “experience” or “feeling” which would make line 5 describe spring as an awe-inspiring, whole experience of the nature that is blooming all around. It is not just a natural occurrence. It is a whole body experience that moves the soul to awe.

Dickinson’s word choice is very particular in the types of people that she decides to discuss in the poem: a king and a clown. Today, when we think about a “clown” we think of a jokester or performer, but “clown” in Dickinson’s time meant something much different. A “clown” was a “countryman” or “peasant” in Dickinson’s era. This would then draw a line between the royal king and the lowly peasant. The king looked on nature from the outside; he does not come into contact with it and even has his servants tend to it. But the “clown” or “countryman” would encounter nature in a more physical way. He would need to chop trees for firewood, harvest crops for food, and set traps for pests. The king, however, does not have such direct contact with nature. He observes from afar, possibly taking evening strolls, but he is not working the land. He has servants who would do that for him. He can enjoy the product of groomed nature without getting his hands dirty.

Dickinson is making the point that no one, directly or indirectly interacting with nature, can lay claim on it. It does not matter if you work with nature every day or see it from afar. Nature is to remain unclaimed, unaltered, and free.


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/03/20/spring-equinox-2019/