STUDY by D. H. Lawrence: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
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.
The poem
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._)
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.
Line-by-line
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
On the green wood's edge a shy girl hovers / From out of the hazel-screen on to the grass,
Somewhere the lamp hanging low from the ceiling / Lights the soft hair of a girl as she reads,
(_Tears and dreams for them; for me / Bitter science--the exams. are near._)
Tone & mood
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.
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.
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.
FAQ
'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.
Lawrence never mentions her by name, but biographers commonly link her to Jessie Chambers, a close friend and early love from Nottinghamshire. She is depicted twice: first as a romantic figure seen at the edge of the woods, and second as the girl reading by the lamp at home, possibly waiting and crying for the student to come back.
The italicized lines represent the student's internal voice — the self-conscious, impatient part of him that knows exactly what he's doing. They act like stage directions or asides in a play, distinguishing the dreaming mind from the supervising, scolding mind. This technique allows Lawrence to portray two mental states occurring at the same time.
It's a moment of stark honesty: the student briefly wonders if passing his exams or spending the evening with the girl really matters at all once they're both gone. It’s not a serious death wish — rather, it’s the kind of dark thought that can creep into anyone's mind during a stressful period. Lawrence includes this to highlight just how much the pressure has affected him.
A bust is a sculpture depicting only the head and shoulders—no body, no heart, no emotions. The student is partly joking when he says he wishes he could turn off his feelings and desires to focus on his studies without distractions. It’s a humorous, self-deprecating comment, but it also reflects a deeper truth: the price of pursuing intellectual goals while being someone who experiences emotions intensely.
Absolutely. Lawrence relied heavily on his experiences as a scholarship student facing high-stakes exams, caught between his academic responsibilities and personal emotions. The chemistry references, the Nottinghamshire scenery, and the domestic settings all closely reflect his life in the early 1900s. However, it's important to note that this is a crafted poem, not just a diary entry — Lawrence skillfully shapes the content to enhance its impact.
The poem consists of four sections, with the first three as standard stanzas and the last one presented as an italicized verse paragraph. The rhyme scheme is loose and occasionally feels deliberately clumsy—take the 'Some ways'll / violet' rhyme, which almost trips over itself. This roughness is intentional; it reflects a mind that’s distracted and struggles to maintain a tidy thought. Lawrence wasn't concerned with strict formal perfection, and in this piece, the structure embodies the content.
At its heart, the poem explores the struggle between duty and desire — particularly the longing for love, nature, and connection in contrast to the pressures of academic responsibilities. It also addresses themes of class (the struggle to access education), loneliness (the pain of being apart from loved ones and cherished places), and a fleeting confrontation with mortality that raises questions about the significance of it all.