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Storgy

The Annotated Edition

STUDY by D. H. Lawrence

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A young student struggles to focus on his chemistry revision, often getting lost in vivid daydreams about the beauty of spring and the girl waiting for him at home.

Poet
D. H. Lawrence
Themes
growing-up, loneliness, love
The PoemFull text

STUDY

D. H. Lawrence

SOMEWHERE the long mellow note of the blackbird Quickens the unclasping hands of hazel, Somewhere the wind-flowers fling their heads back, Stirred by an impetuous wind. Some ways'll All be sweet with white and blue violet. (_Hush now, hush. Where am I?--Biuret--_) On the green wood's edge a shy girl hovers From out of the hazel-screen on to the grass, Where wheeling and screaming the petulant plovers Wave frighted. Who comes? A labourer, alas! Oh the sunset swims in her eyes' swift pool. (_Work, work, you fool--!_) Somewhere the lamp hanging low from the ceiling Lights the soft hair of a girl as she reads, And the red firelight steadily wheeling Weaves the hard hands of my friend in sleep. And the white dog snuffs the warmth, appealing For the man to heed lest the girl shall weep. (_Tears and dreams for them; for me Bitter science--the exams. are near. I wish I bore it more patiently. I wish you did not wait, my dear, For me to come: since work I must: Though it's all the same when we are dead.-- I wish I was only a bust, All head._)

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

A young student struggles to focus on his chemistry revision, often getting lost in vivid daydreams about the beauty of spring and the girl waiting for him at home. Each time he drifts away, he snaps back to his books, feeling frustrated about how much he'd prefer to be anywhere but here. In the end, he half-jokes that life would be simpler if he were just a disembodied head without any feelings at all.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. SOMEWHERE the long mellow note of the blackbird / Quickens the unclasping hands of hazel,

    Editor's note

    The student's thoughts drift to a dreamlike English spring landscape. The blackbird's song and the opening hazel buds signal the arrival of the season, and Lawrence makes these sensations feel tangible — the hazel 'unclasps' like hands letting go. The word 'Somewhere' stands out: this place isn't where the speaker is. He's confined to a desk while the world blossoms around him.

  2. Somewhere the wind-flowers fling their heads back, / Stirred by an impetuous wind. Some ways'll

    Editor's note

    The daydream intensifies as anemones (wind-flowers) sway gently in the breeze. The clunky rhyme 'Some ways'll / violet' reflects how a wandering mind clings to half-formed ideas. The italicized interruption — *Hush now, hush. Where am I? — Biuret —* — shows the student shaking himself awake: 'biuret' is a term from chemistry, a reminder that he should be focused on biochemistry or a related subject.

  3. On the green wood's edge a shy girl hovers / From out of the hazel-screen on to the grass,

    Editor's note

    A second daydream starts, this time on a more personal note. A girl emerges from the woods into a meadow where plovers circle and call out. The scene feels gentle and somewhat cinematic — the sunset glimmers in her eyes. But the arrival of the laborer interrupts the romantic atmosphere, and the italicized self-reproach *Work, work, you fool —!* abruptly ends the vision. The exclamation mark reveals genuine frustration with herself.

  4. Somewhere the lamp hanging low from the ceiling / Lights the soft hair of a girl as she reads,

    Editor's note

    Now the daydream is more about home than nature. The student imagines a cozy, lamp-lit room: a girl immersed in a book, a friend napping by the fire, a white dog looking for warmth. This is the life he's missing while he studies. The scene is depicted with a lot of warmth—soft hair, flickering firelight, a dog nudging for affection—which makes his absence feel even more heart-wrenching. The girl's potential tears at the end of the stanza suggest the emotional toll of his commitment to his work.

  5. (_Tears and dreams for them; for me / Bitter science--the exams. are near._)

    Editor's note

    The final italicized section is the longest and most straightforward. The student sheds the facade of studying and talks candidly about his situation: the people he cares about can express their feelings freely, while he struggles through 'bitter science.' His remark that 'it's all the same when we are dead' reveals a moment of bleak nihilism—a young man briefly questioning the significance of all his hard work. The closing desire to be 'only a bust, / All head' carries a dark humor: he wishes to cut off the emotional, yearning part of himself so that the intellectual side can simply get on with things.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone shifts between a sense of wistful longing and sharp self-criticism. The main stanzas exude a dreamy, lyrical warmth — Lawrence's nature writing feels sensuous and vibrant. In contrast, the italicized interruptions come across as clipped, impatient, and even harsh. This contrast fuels the poem: beauty continually breaks through, while duty keeps pushing it away. By the final section, the two voices blend into a more openly sad and self-reflective tone, punctuated by a dry, self-deprecating humor in the closing lines.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

Hazel / wind-flowers / spring landscape
The blooming natural world represents everything the student is missing out on: freedom, sensory pleasure, and the time he can't afford to savor. The arrival of spring without him emphasizes the sacrifices he's making.
Biuret (the chemistry term)
A single technical term inserted into a lyrical poem highlights the stark, abstract requirements of academic study — everything that daydreams stand against. Its suddenness is nearly humorous, and clearly intentional.
The lamp and firelight
Warm artificial light in the domestic scene represents intimacy, comfort, and belonging—the home life that the student is distanced from due to his books and ambition.
The white dog
The dog looking for warmth and attention embodies simple need and affection. It serves as a gentle reminder: if the man doesn’t return, the girl will cry. The dog brings the emotional stakes to life without any melodrama.
The bust / 'All head'
The final image of a marble bust — a head without a body or heart — represents the student's ideal of being completely rational, free from desire. It's ironic, yet it also highlights the toll his emotions are taking on him.

§06Historical context

Historical context

Lawrence wrote this poem while he was a student and then a pupil-teacher in Nottinghamshire in the early 1900s, long before he gained fame. He attended University College Nottingham and took the King's Scholarship exams, which created a lot of pressure that influences this poem. Coming from a working-class background, education was his way out, making the stakes of his studies not just academic but also economic and social. During this time, he was also developing deep emotional connections, particularly with Jessie Chambers, who many believe is the girl referenced in the poem's domestic scene. The struggle between his intellectual goals and emotional experiences is a theme Lawrence explored throughout his life, but here it’s captured in its most raw and immediate form: a young man at a desk, unable to keep his wandering thoughts at bay.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

'Biuret' is a chemical compound used in a standard chemistry test (the biuret test) for detecting proteins. Lawrence throws it into the poem as a single, jarring word to highlight what the student is meant to focus on. Its harshness next to words like 'wind-flowers' and 'violet' creates a contrast between science and nature that feels both humorous and strikingly real.

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