Tone in Spring

Millay creates a comedic tone with these images. Sharp terms like “idiot” and foolish words like “babbling” and “strewing” make April a comic character that the narrator can mock.

The narrator uses a tone of exasperation in this line. Spring, an entity that seems impervious to death, comes every year and reminds her not of beauty but of mortality. The narrator’s frustration with spring could stem from the ignorance of death and the meaninglessness of life that it causes.

Rather than discussing the beauty of blooming flowers, the narrator characterizes them as “sticky,” a word that has unpleasant connotations. This word adds to Millay’s humorous and contemptuous tone.