The Coming of the Spring EOG Review

The Coming of the Spring

The Coming of the Spring by Nora Perry

There’s something in the air

That’s new and sweet and rare—

A scent of summer things,

A whirr as if of wings.

5 There’s something too that’s new

In the color of the blue

That’s in the morning sky,

Before the sun is high.

And though on plain and hill,

10 ’Tis winter, winter still,

There’s something seems to say

That winter’s had its day.

And all this changing tint,

This whispering stir and hint

15 Of bud and bloom and wing,

Is the coming of the spring.

And tomorrow or today

The brooks will break away

From their icy, frozen sleep,

20 And run and laugh and leap.

And the next thing, in the woods,

The catkins in their hoods

Of fur and silk will stand,

A sturdy little band.

25 And the tassels soft and fine

Of the hazel will untwine,

And the elder branches show

Their buds against the snow. 

So, silently but swift,

30 Above the wintry drift,

The long days gain and gain,

Until, on hill and plain,

Once more, and yet once more

Returning as before,

35 We see the bloom of birth

Make young again the earth. 

Multiple Choice

Which lines from the poem provide the strongest support for the theme of renewal?

• “There’s something seems to say / That winter’s had its day.”

• “And the elder branches show / Their buds against the snow.”

• “So, silently but swift, / Above the wintry drift,”

• “We see the bloom of birth / Make young again the earth.”

Multiple Choice

How does the first stanza contribute to the meaning of the poem?

• It introduces the idea that a difference can be felt all around.

• It emphasizes the fact that spring is coming later this year.

• It introduces the idea that the weather is constantly changing.

• It emphasizes the fact that this past winter has been harsh.

Multiple Choice

What can be inferred from lines 5–6?

• The speaker thinks the spring sky is filled with more white clouds than a winter sky.

• The speaker feels so tired of the winter cold that she hopes spring comes very quickly.

• The speaker thinks the shade of blue in the spring sky is different than that of a winter sky.

• The speaker feels so in tune with the weather that she can feel the change of seasons.

Multiple Choice

Which lines reveal the speaker’s contrasting perspectives regarding winter and spring?

• “There’s something too that’s new / In the color of the blue / That’s in the morning sky, / Before the sun is high.”

• “And though on plain and hill, / ’Tis winter, winter still, / There’s something seems to say / That winter’s had its day.”

• “And tomorrow or today / The brooks will break away / From their icy, frozen sleep / And run and laugh and leap.”

• “And tomorrow or today / The brooks will break away / From their icy, frozen sleep / And run and laugh and leap.”

Multiple Choice

What does drift mean in line 30?

• a sudden movement

• a wild gust of wind

• a large pile of snow

• a sloping mountain