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Storgy

The Annotated Edition

BY CHARLES D'ORLEANS by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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

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Spring has arrived, and Time is depicted shedding a heavy winter cloak for bright, sunny attire.

Poet
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Themes
beauty, hope, nature
The PoemFull text

BY CHARLES D'ORLEANS

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Now Time throws off his cloak again Of ermined frost, and wind, and rain, And clothes him in the embroidery Of glittering sun and clear blue sky. With beast and bird the forest rings, Each in his jargon cries or sings; And Time throws off his cloak again. Of ermined frost, and wind, and rain. River, and fount, and tinkling brook Wear in their dainty livery Drops of silver jewelry; In new-made suit they merry look; And Time throws off his cloak again Of ermined frost, and wind, and rain.

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

Spring has arrived, and Time is depicted shedding a heavy winter cloak for bright, sunny attire. Every element of nature — animals, birds, rivers, and streams — joins in the celebration of the new season. It's a brief, joyful poem that compares the transition of seasons to a costume change at a party.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. Now Time throws off his cloak again / Of ermined frost, and wind, and rain,

    Editor's note

    Time takes on the persona of a nobleman, casting off a heavy winter cloak lined with ermine, the luxurious white fur linked to royalty and cold. The term "again" indicates this is a yearly ritual — spring’s arrival is a certainty. The cloak represents the harshness of winter: frost, wind, and rain. By portraying Time as an aristocrat changing outfits, the poem adds a festive, almost theatrical touch to the changing of the seasons.

  2. And clothes him in the embroidery / Of glittering sun and clear blue sky.

    Editor's note

    The new "outfit" that Time wears is sunlight and blue sky, likened to embroidery — the delicate, decorative stitching seen on high-quality garments. This keeps up the clothing metaphor and gives sunshine a sense of luxury and intentionality instead of randomness. The stanza ends with the sounds of birds and animals echoing through the forest, each creature contributing its unique voice to the seasonal symphony.

  3. River, and fount, and tinkling brook / Wear in their dainty livery

    Editor's note

    Now the clothing metaphor shifts to water. Rivers, fountains, and brooks are adorned in "livery" — the uniform worn by servants in a grand household — made of silver droplets glinting in the light. The word "dainty" adds a delicate, almost playful touch to the water. The refrain comes back to ground the stanza, reminding us that this vibrant new world exists only because winter has been shed.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone is light, celebratory, and playfully cheerful. There's no hint of sadness here — Longfellow fully embraces the joy of renewal. The repeated refrain lends it a song-like, chant-like feel, reminiscent of a toast to spring. The language is elegant and ornate, fitting the extended metaphor of Time as a nobleman preparing for a new season.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The cloak of ermined frost
Winter is depicted as a heavy, fur-trimmed cloak worn by a nobleman. The white ermine fur serves as a visual representation of snow and frost. Shedding this cloak becomes a purposeful and almost triumphant gesture, transforming the end of winter into a choice rather than merely a date on the calendar.
Embroidery of glittering sun
Sunlight transformed into decorative needlework on fine fabric. It implies that the beauty of spring is crafted and purposeful, not haphazard — the world has been thoughtfully adorned for the season.
Silver jewelry on the water
Light sparkles on rivers and streams, resembling drops of silver jewelry adorning a livery uniform. This imagery reflects the shimmering beauty of sunlit water while maintaining the poem's central metaphor of nature getting dressed for spring.
Livery
The uniform that household servants wear is now applied to rivers and brooks. This brings the natural world into the poem's broader courtly scene — even the water has dressed up and embraced its part in the seasonal celebration.

§06Historical context

Historical context

This poem is Longfellow's translation of a rondel by Charles d'Orléans (1394–1465), a French prince and poet who spent 25 years as a prisoner in England after the Battle of Agincourt. During his captivity, d'Orléans wrote extensively, and his spring poems—light, musical, and featuring repeating refrains—became some of the most admired lyrics of medieval French poetry. Longfellow, writing in 19th-century America, had a strong interest in European literary traditions and created numerous translations to share that heritage with American readers. By naming the poem "By Charles d'Orléans," he emphasizes that he is acting as a faithful translator rather than presenting an original work. The rondel form, with its required refrains, gives the poem a circular, song-like quality—the same lines that open it keep coming back, just like spring does each year.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

It's a spring poem. Time is depicted as a nobleman who sheds his winter cloak — woven from frost, wind, and rain — and dons bright sunshine and a blue sky instead. The entire natural world, from birds to rivers, takes part in this seasonal celebration.

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