A WINTER'S TALE by D. H. Lawrence: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
A man observes a woman's footprints cutting through a snowy, misty landscape heading toward the pine trees.
The poem
YESTERDAY the fields were only grey with scattered snow, And now the longest grass-leaves hardly emerge; Yet her deep footsteps mark the snow, and go On towards the pines at the hills' white verge. I cannot see her, since the mist's white scarf Obscures the dark wood and the dull orange sky; But she's waiting, I know, impatient and cold, half Sobs struggling into her frosty sigh. Why does she come so promptly, when she must know That she's only the nearer to the inevitable farewell; The hill is steep, on the snow my steps are slow-- Why does she come, when she knows what I have to tell?
A man observes a woman's footprints cutting through a snowy, misty landscape heading toward the pine trees. He knows she’s waiting for him, even as he prepares to say goodbye for good. The fog makes it hard to see her, but he senses her impatience and feels her cold, half-sobbed breaths. The entire poem captures that painful walk toward someone you're about to hurt.
Line-by-line
YESTERDAY the fields were only grey with scattered snow, / And now the longest grass-leaves hardly emerge;
Yet her deep footsteps mark the snow, and go / On towards the pines at the hills' white verge.
I cannot see her, since the mist's white scarf / Obscures the dark wood and the dull orange sky;
But she's waiting, I know, impatient and cold, half / Sobs struggling into her frosty sigh.
Why does she come so promptly, when she must know / That she's only the nearer to the inevitable farewell;
The hill is steep, on the snow my steps are slow-- / Why does she come, when she knows what I have to tell?
Tone & mood
The tone is filled with dread and guilt, yet it avoids veering into self-pity. Lawrence maintains a restrained and observational style — the speaker observes, notices, and questions. There's a tenderness toward the woman (those half-sobs, the frosty sigh) mixed with a stark honesty about what lies ahead. The winter landscape serves not just as a backdrop; it reflects the emotional weight of the entire poem, grey and oppressive.
Symbols & metaphors
- Snow and deepening winter — The snow that has fallen overnight signals that the end of the relationship is near—what was once clear is now hidden under a blanket of white. It muffles sounds, buries memories, and makes it hard to move forward.
- Her footprints — The woman's deep tracks in the snow reflect her commitment and eagerness—she has fully invested herself in this meeting. They also highlight her absence; the speaker notices her trace before he actually sees her, creating a sense of longing and guilt.
- The mist / white scarf — The mist that obscures her from sight reflects the speaker's emotional avoidance—he knows she is present but isn't ready to confront her. The term 'scarf' adds a touch of humanity to the landscape, suggesting that nature is also prepared for the chilly goodbye.
- The pine trees at the hill's verge — The pines stand as a divider between the open field and the shadowy woods, between what she knows and what lies ahead. She lingers at this edge, which also symbolizes the end of the relationship.
- The steep hill — The physical effort of climbing the snowy hill reflects the speaker's moral struggle. His slow steps serve as both a literal action and a confession of his reluctance—he's not in a rush to share the news he bears.
Historical context
D. H. Lawrence wrote this poem early in his career, and it reflects his experiences in the English Midlands along with his complicated early romantic life. Growing up in the coal country of Nottinghamshire, the landscapes in his early poetry—fields, hills, pines, and winter light—are based on what he directly observed rather than on literary traditions. By the time he penned this poem, he was going through a painful shift away from his first serious relationship with Jessie Chambers, a farmer's daughter he had known since childhood, toward Frieda Weekley, the woman who would eventually become his wife. While knowing this background isn’t essential for understanding the poem, it does shed light on why the guilt and tenderness come across as deeply felt and genuine. Lawrence published his first collection, *Love Poems and Others*, in 1913, and many of those early poems feature the same blend of keen natural observation and raw emotional honesty found in this piece.
FAQ
A man walks through a snowy landscape to meet a woman he plans to break up with. He can see her footprints in the snow but can't spot her yet through the mist. He knows she is waiting eagerly, which makes it even harder for him — he keeps wondering why she comes so readily when he knows what he has to say will hurt her.
Lawrence never mentions her by name. Many readers and scholars associate her with Jessie Chambers, who was Lawrence's close childhood friend and first serious love, but their relationship ultimately ended. However, the poem stands on its own without this biographical context — she represents someone who loves the speaker more than he can reciprocate at this moment.
The repetition reveals the speaker's guilt, which keeps coming back around. He can't find a resolution because there’s no easy answer. She comes because she loves him. This repetition also creates the poem's emotional rhythm — it concludes not with a resolution but with the question lingering in the cold air, unanswered.
The snow serves multiple purposes. It marks the end of something—it blankets the grass, hinders movement, and casts a grey, muffled tone over the world. At the same time, it highlights the woman's deep footprints, creating a sense of irony: the conditions that indicate an ending also make her presence and commitment clearer.
Breaking the line after 'half' — 'impatient and cold, half / Sobs struggling into her frosty sigh' — captures the moment before a sob, as if she's catching her breath. This formal choice reflects the emotional weight perfectly. The way 'half' hangs there at the end of the line echoes the half-formed cry she’s trying to suppress.
It isn't a sonnet. The poem consists of three quatrains, each with four lines, following a loose ABAB rhyme scheme. Lawrence allows the rhymes to come naturally—some are exact ('snow' / 'go', 'know' / 'slow'), while others are slant rhymes ('scarf' / 'half'). The structure is just tight enough to feel intentional, yet relaxed enough to resemble everyday conversation.
The tone is filled with dread and guilt, tightly controlled. The speaker isn't indulging in self-pity; instead, he attentively observes the landscape, notices the woman's quiet sobs with genuine tenderness, and asks his questions straightforwardly. The winter backdrop amplifies the emotional chill, allowing the speaker to convey it without extra effort.
The title references the tradition of winter tales, which are typically shared during the cold season and often revolve around themes of loss or hardship. It also alludes to Shakespeare's play *The Winter's Tale*, which explores feelings of jealousy, loss, and painful separation. Lawrence's title presents a personal heartbreak as a seasonal story — a reflection of experiences that occur when the world turns cold.