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A WINTER'S TALE by D. H. Lawrence

Summary, meaning, line-by-line analysis & FAQ.

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A man observes a woman's footprints cutting through a snowy, misty landscape heading toward the pine trees.

Poet
D. H. Lawrence
Themes
love, memory, nature
The PoemFull text

A WINTER'S TALE

D. H. Lawrence

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?

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

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.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. YESTERDAY the fields were only grey with scattered snow, / And now the longest grass-leaves hardly emerge;

    Editor's note

    Lawrence begins by placing us in a particular winter scene — the snow has piled up overnight, nearly covering even the tallest blades of grass. This isn’t just pretty imagery; the advancing snow suggests something is drawing near, a world gradually being concealed. The everyday nature of the details ('yesterday', 'longest grass-leaves') amplifies the emotional impact of what comes next.

  2. Yet her deep footsteps mark the snow, and go / On towards the pines at the hills' white verge.

    Editor's note

    Her footprints are deep — she has left her mark on this landscape, dedicating herself to being here. The pines at the white verge stand at the edge of sight and the edge of the familiar, suggesting a boundary the relationship is on the brink of crossing. We haven't encountered her yet, only her presence in the snow.

  3. I cannot see her, since the mist's white scarf / Obscures the dark wood and the dull orange sky;

    Editor's note

    The mist creates a barrier between the speaker and the woman — he senses her presence but isn't ready to confront her. The 'dull orange sky' represents a winter late-afternoon sky, chilly and dimming. The term 'scarf' carries a gentle warmth; even the mist is wrapped up for winter, just like she is. The speaker's struggle to see her reflects his emotional hesitation to face what lies ahead.

  4. But she's waiting, I know, impatient and cold, half / Sobs struggling into her frosty sigh.

    Editor's note

    This is the emotional heart of the poem. He knows her so intimately that he can visualize how she stands and breathes in the cold — the half-swallowed sobs, the frosty breath. The line break after 'half' is one of Lawrence's finest touches here; it captures the feeling of incompleteness and the pause before a cry. She is already mourning something she hasn’t realized is finished.

  5. Why does she come so promptly, when she must know / That she's only the nearer to the inevitable farewell;

    Editor's note

    The speaker reflects with a question that reveals a sense of guilt. The phrase 'inevitable farewell' is direct—Lawrence doesn't sugarcoat it. The term 'promptly' has a sharp edge; her desire to see him only deepens the sense of betrayal. He wonders why she complicates things for him, but beneath that lies the deeper question: why does she still love him even as he prepares to leave?

  6. The hill is steep, on the snow my steps are slow-- / Why does she come, when she knows what I have to tell?

    Editor's note

    The physical challenge of climbing the snowy hill reflects the speaker's moral struggle. His slow steps aren't just about the terrain; he's reluctantly moving toward a painful obligation. The poem concludes with the lingering, unanswered question, which feels fitting: there's no satisfying answer to why someone who cares about you continues to appear, even when it causes them pain.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

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.

§05Symbols & metaphors

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.

§06Historical context

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.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

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.

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