Emily Dickinson employs a strong sense of natural imagery throughout this poem. She discusses the clouds, the air, the dew, the sky, the bees, the butterflies, the snow, and the sun. As the poem progresses, I noticed a subtle change in the seasons. At first when the speaker refers to the butterflies and bees and the halting of their drinking/nectar intake, I thought she was referring to the fact that the season were switching and the plants off of which they survive would soon die. With this, I became confused as to whether the speaker was professing her love for nature throughout the entirety of the year or just during summer months when nature seems to be in full bloom. The argument support that the speaker only appreciates nature during the summer is found when the speaker says,
"Till Seraphs swing their snowy Hats." (Dickinson, 797)
However, the argument supporting the speaker's love of nature at all times is backed by the phrase,--
"I shall but drink the more!" (Dickinson, 797)
--even though the seasons are changing. Despite these arguments, Dickinson makes the speaker's attitude toward nature crystal clear.
