Green
The dawn was apple-green,
The sky was green wine held up in the sun,
The moon was a golden petal between.
She opened her eyes, and green
They shone, clear like flowers undone
For the first time, now for the first time seen.
The Annotated Edition
Green by D. H. Lawrence
Read aloud in ~1 minOpen reading mode →
A speaker observes a woman waking at dawn, and the color green connects all elements — the sky, the light, and her eyes — creating a sense that the world is revealing itself for the very first time.
- Poet
- D. H. Lawrence
- Core theme
- Beauty
Study actions
§01Quick summary
What this poem is about
A speaker observes a woman waking at dawn, and the color green connects all elements — the sky, the light, and her eyes — creating a sense that the world is revealing itself for the very first time. It's a brief poem capturing a single perfect moment of beauty and fresh starts. Lawrence employs nature to convey something that would feel overwhelming if expressed directly: this woman, this moment, embodies the beginning of everything.
§02Themes
Recurring themes
§03Line by line
Stanza by stanza, with notes
The dawn was apple-green, / The sky was green wine held up in the sun,
Editor's note
Lawrence begins by describing the early morning sky in hues of green — fresh, cool, and slightly translucent. "Apple-green" evokes a sense of crispness and vitality. The phrase "green wine held up in the sun" creates a beautiful image: imagine a glass of white wine lifted to the light, glowing from within. The moon, still visible in the brightening sky, is likened to "a golden petal," delicate and almost serendipitous, suspended between night and day. This entire stanza captures pure sensation — the interplay of color, light, and the feeling of a world that hasn't fully awakened yet.
She opened her eyes, and green / They shone, clear like flowers undone
Editor's note
Now the woman wakes, and her green eyes reflect the world outside — or perhaps the world outside has been reflecting her all along. "Flowers undone" signifies flowers blooming for the first time, petals unfolding. The phrase "now for the first time seen" delivers the emotional impact: Lawrence isn't merely stating her eyes are beautiful; he’s suggesting that seeing her this way makes everything feel brand new. The repetition of "for the first time" reinforces that sense of wonder, as if the speaker has never really looked at anything before this moment.
§04Tone & mood
How this poem feels
The tone is soft and respectful, as if someone is trying not to disrupt a beautiful moment. There’s a sense of awe — the kind you experience when something mundane (like dawn or a person waking up) suddenly feels extraordinary. It never veers into sentimentality because Lawrence anchors it in vivid, tangible images: apple-green, wine, petals, eyes. The emotion is gentle and subtly joyful.
§05Symbols & metaphors
Symbols & metaphors
- Green
- Green flows throughout the poem, representing newness, growth, and the start of life. It links the natural world to the woman's eyes, implying that she is part of nature, not apart from it.
- Dawn
- The dawn symbolizes new beginnings and the transition between different states—night and day, sleep and wakefulness, the unknown and the familiar. It establishes the poem's main idea that this moment is a unique kind of first.
- The moon as a golden petal
- The moon hanging in the morning sky resembles a flower petal, transforming something immense and far away into something delicate and temporary. This connection also links the natural imagery to the flower metaphor for the woman's eyes in the second stanza.
- Flowers undone
- Flowers blooming for the first time symbolize innocence, vulnerability, and that irreversible moment of revelation. When related to the woman's eyes, it implies she is being genuinely seen — and maybe truly seeing — for the first time.
§06Historical context
Historical context
D. H. Lawrence wrote "Green" in the early 1900s, a time when he was keenly focused on how people connect with the natural world. He was critical of the industrialized, mechanized life that was taking over England, feeling that authentic emotions — sensory and immediate — were fading away. Many of his shorter poems read like snapshots, aiming to freeze a moment of vibrancy before it vanishes. "Green" is part of his early lyric poetry, influenced by the Imagist movement, which favored vivid images over abstract ideas. His working-class background from the Midlands and his often tumultuous relationships with women also played a crucial role in shaping his poetry, leading him to write in a style that is straightforward, physical, and emotionally open.
§07FAQ
Questions readers ask
What is the poem "Green" by D. H. Lawrence about?
It's about a dawn moment when a speaker sees a woman open her eyes, and the green of the morning sky perfectly matches the green of her eyes. The poem explores how a single moment — or one person — can make the entire world feel fresh and new.
Why does Lawrence repeat "for the first time"?
The repetition emphasizes the poem's central emotion: wonder. Saying it twice isn’t a coincidence — it's Lawrence stressing that this isn’t merely a pleasant morning; it’s a truly transformative moment. The speaker feels as if they are seeing clearly for the very first time.
What does "green wine held up in the sun" mean?
It's a visual image of the sky at dawn: pale, radiant, and somewhat translucent, similar to how a glass of white or green wine appears when you lift it to the light. This gives the sky a liquid, glowing quality instead of a solid, distant feel.
What is the structure and form of the poem?
The poem consists of two tercets, each with three lines, following a loose ABA rhyme scheme with the words "green / sun / between" and "green / undone / seen." The parallel structure of the stanzas reflects one another: the first focuses on the external world, while the second centers on the woman. Both stanzas conclude with the color green and the notion of something being revealed.
Is this poem a love poem?
Yes, in Lawrence's subtle manner. He never directly says "I love you" or even mentions her name, but the tenderness and wonder in the speaker's gaze make the intimacy clear. The poem captures the experience of looking at someone you love and suddenly seeing them — and the world — in a completely new light.
What does "flowers undone" mean?
"Undone" here refers to being opened up and unfurled — similar to a bud blossoming into a flower for the first time. When applied to the woman's eyes, it implies they appear fresh, open, and newly revealed, much like a flower in that moment of first bloom.
How does Lawrence connect the woman to nature in this poem?
By giving her eyes the same green as the dawn sky, Lawrence connects her to the natural world instead of making her just an observer. The imagery of green, petals, and flowers applies to both the landscape and the woman, blurring the lines between them.
What movement or style does this poem belong to?
It aligns closely with Imagism, a movement in early twentieth-century poetry that preferred sharp, concrete images to vague emotional expressions. Lawrence wasn’t strictly an Imagist, but his poem "Green" clearly reflects that influence: each line presents a vivid image to visualize rather than abstract concepts to ponder.
Citation
Cite this poem
MLA
Lawrence, D. H. "Green." Storgy, https://storgy.com/poems/green-d-h-lawrence/.
APA
Lawrence, D. H. (n.d.). Green. Storgy. https://storgy.com/poems/green-d-h-lawrence/
Adjacent texts in the archive
Read next
- In the same key
The Garden
Andrew Marvell
Read & analyze - Romantic · 1807
I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
William Wordsworth
Read & analyze - In the same key
Wild Geese
Mary Oliver
Read & analyze - In the same key
Pied Beauty
Gerard Manley Hopkins
Read & analyze - Renaissance · 1633
The Sun Rising
John Donne
Read & analyze - In the same key
Spring
Gerard Manley Hopkins
Read & analyze