Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Cleopatra Mathis’s "Old Trick" is a nuanced exploration of spring as both a symbol of renewal and an agent of inevitable loss. Through personification, rich imagery, and a candid tone, Mathis critiques the cyclical promises of nature, revealing an underlying tension between the allure of seasonal rebirth and the eventual betrayal of its fleeting beauty.

The poem opens with an almost accusatory stance toward spring, characterized as an "old hag" who relies on deceptive charm. This personification introduces the speaker’s skeptical attitude, suggesting a weariness borne from repeated experiences of disappointment. The goddess of spring is described as "disguising herself" with the season’s verdant emergence, underscoring the idea that nature’s revival is both alluring and inherently misleading. The early blooms and fresh greens act as a façade, concealing the reality of transience and decay that follows. This duality sets the stage for the speaker’s conflicted relationship with nature’s cycles—drawn to its promises yet acutely aware of its impermanence.

Mathis imbues the natural imagery with layers of emotional resonance. The "first green" of spring, described as a "fine scribble skimming the trees," evokes a sense of delicate, ephemeral beauty. The imagery of the goddess "gray, icy, bent" lurking in the corners juxtaposes this vitality with a foreboding presence, emphasizing the inevitability of decline. This interplay between light and shadow mirrors the speaker’s internal struggle: a desire to embrace renewal while bracing for the heartache that follows.

The speaker’s tone shifts as she reflects on her own complicity in succumbing to spring’s allure. The phrase "I let her bear the weight of my heart" reveals a poignant vulnerability, suggesting that despite her awareness of the season’s cyclical nature, she cannot help but invest emotionally in its fleeting promises. The pattern of hope and loss is framed as a recurring "mistake," highlighting the inevitability of this interaction and the speaker’s resigned acceptance of her role within it.

The poem’s critique of spring deepens with its portrayal of nature as both seductive and indifferent. The speaker observes how spring "promises to bring back what I love," only to exact a price for this temporary restoration. The return of birds, flowers, and greenery is described in celebratory terms, but the speaker’s awareness of the "price" casts a shadow over this renewal. The parade of "returning birds" and "finches twittering at dawn" suggests a deceptive display of constancy, as the season ultimately moves toward its end, taking its gifts with it.

The final lines of the poem anchor its exploration of transience and loss in a personal context. The speaker’s warning to "keep an eye on the children" introduces a deeply human element, connecting the natural cycle to the fleeting nature of childhood and relationships. The imagery of September as a time of "ripe business whirring" encapsulates the relentless march of time, with its harvest signaling both fulfillment and conclusion. The metaphor of a "yellowing wing" evokes the fading of vitality and innocence, underscoring the inevitability of change and separation.

"Old Trick" resonates as a meditation on the complexities of renewal and decay. Mathis captures the seductive charm of spring while revealing the melancholy embedded in its transience. The poem’s interplay of trust and betrayal, hope and disillusionment, reflects a universal human experience of grappling with the passage of time and the impermanence of beauty and joy. Through its rich imagery and introspective tone, "Old Trick" invites readers to reflect on their own relationship with the cycles of nature and the emotional landscapes they traverse.

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