Here is the poem, followed by some brief commentary:
An Easter Carol
Spring bursts to-day
For Christ is risen and all the earth's at play.
Flash forth, thou Sun,
The rain is over and gone, its work is done.
Winter is past,
Sweet Spring is come at last, is come at last.
Bud, Fig and Vine,
Bud, Olive, fat with fruit and oil and wine.
Break forth this morn
In roses, thou but yesterday a thorn.
Uplift thy head,
O pure white Lily through the Winter dead.
Beside your dams
Leap and rejoice, you merry-making Lambs.
All Herds and Flocks
Rejoice, all Beasts of thickets and of rocks.
Sing, Creatures, sing
Angels and Men and Birds and everything.
All notes of Doves
Fill all our world: this is the time of loves.
I would like to make a number of points about this poem. First of all, a few comments about the language. The word carol in the title of the poem may seem a little odd, given that we tend to associate carols with Christmas, not Easter. However, the word carol, which originated in Old English, being in turn derived from Old French, originally referred to a type of dance. Only later did the word come to mean a joyous song, including one of a religious nature like those sung at Christmas. The word dam, which may be unfamiliar to some of my readers, means the female mother of an animal, especially in the case of animals kept as livestock.
Second, although linking Christ's resurrection with the renewal of life in springtime is hardly a novel idea, Rossetti is able to make it fresh through her use of striking language (e.g., "Flash forth, thou Sun/The rain is over, its work is done" and "Bud, Olive, fat with fruit and oil and wine") and by linking the Resurrection to a world "at play." Moreover, it is possible that the plants and animals she refers to in the poem have symbolic significance. For example, Rossetti mentions the "vine" in her poem. Could this be a reference to Christ, who described Himself as "the true Vine" in John 15:1? Furthermore, it is difficult not to see the "pure white Lily through the Winter dead" as a metaphor for the risen Christ. The "merry-making Lambs" remind us of the One who was the Lamb of God, and it is tempting to see the poet's concluding call for "[all] notes of Doves" to "fill our world" as a reference to the Holy Spirit, who descended on Christ at His baptism in the form of a dove.
Third--and finally--Rossetti's use of couplets with alternating lines of four and ten syllables seems to create a sense of liveliness, truly reflecting an earth "at play" in light of the Lord's resurrection.
Perhaps more could be said about this poem, but I hope these brief comments of mine may at least facilitate a greater understanding and an appreciation for the poem. May you all have a blessed Easter. He is risen! He is risen indeed!
Image of Christina Rossetti from Wikimedia Commons