When Icicles Hang by the Wall: A Winter written by William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare’s Winter, a delightful song from his early comedy Love’s Labour’s Lost, captures the essence of the cold season with vivid imagery and earthy realism. Through a tapestry of rural life, biting weather, and contrasting notes of warmth and song, Shakespeare constructs an immersive and timeless scene. This article seeks to unravel the poem’s enduring appeal by exploring its themes, poetic devices, and the universal truths it reflects about human endurance during nature’s harshest season.

A Snapshot of Rural Winter

The poem begins with a vivid and tactile depiction of winter in the countryside:

When icicles hang by the wall,

And Dick the shepherd blows his nail,

And Tom Bears logs into the hall,

And milk comes frozen home in a pail...

Shakespeare immediately immerses readers in a rural setting, painting a scene familiar to Elizabethan audiences. The imagery is sensory, evoking the sting of cold on the skin, the sight of frost, and the mundane yet poignant routines of survival. Dick the shepherd “blows his nail” to warm his fingers, while Tom hauls logs to keep the hearth burning. Milk, symbolic of sustenance, is so cold that it arrives frozen, underscoring the unrelenting grip of winter.

This depiction of the season is not romanticized; instead, it is raw and practical. Shakespeare’s attention to detail resonates with readers or listeners who have braved similar chills, fostering an immediate connection to the text.

The Staring Owl and Its Merry Note

Amid the starkness of winter, the poem offers an unusual juxtaposition: the owl’s “merry note.”

Then nightly sings the staring owl,

Tu-who; Tu-whit, tu-who: a merry note,

While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

The owl, often associated with mystery or even foreboding in literature, is here given a cheerful, almost whimsical role. Its repetitive call punctuates the nocturnal scene, suggesting that life continues even in adversity. The choice of “merry” for the owl’s song highlights Shakespeare’s ability to find charm in unexpected places.

Meanwhile, Joan’s act of “keeling” the pot—a term for skimming or stirring—grounds the scene in domestic labor. Her description as “greasy” adds to the unvarnished realism, reminding readers of the grime and toil that accompany the comforts of a hot meal. Together, the owl and Joan represent the persistence of life and rhythm in a season that might otherwise seem stagnant.

A Symphony of Sounds

One of the most striking features of the poem is its auditory richness. Shakespeare masterfully employs onomatopoeia and rhythm to immerse readers in the wintry landscape. The owl’s call—“Tu-who; Tu-whit, tu-who”—is both a mimicry of its natural cry and a playful musical motif. This refrain contrasts with harsher sounds described in the second stanza:

When all aloud the wind doth blow,

And coughing drowns the parson’s saw...

The howling wind and the disruptive cough are distinctly unpleasant, capturing the hardships of winter. The phrase “parson’s saw,” referring to a moralizing sermon, humorously suggests that even the clergy’s words of wisdom are drowned out by the realities of cold weather. This interplay of sound—harsh and harmonious—creates a vivid soundscape that mirrors the complexities of winter.

Universal Themes of Resilience

At its core, Winter is a celebration of resilience. The poem acknowledges the discomforts and challenges of the season but finds beauty and even joy within them. The roasting of crabs (small apples) in the bowl is a moment of warmth and cheer, a reminder of the small pleasures that sustain people through difficult times.

When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl,

Then nightly sings the staring owl...

This interplay of hardship and comfort resonates across cultures and eras. Winter, both literal and metaphorical, tests human endurance. Yet Shakespeare suggests that within every trial lies the potential for song, warmth, and sustenance.

Shakespeare’s Earthy Realism

A hallmark of Shakespeare’s poetry is its ability to balance high art with the earthy and familiar. In Winter, the grandeur of nature is depicted alongside the mundane tasks of rural life. The shepherd, the milkmaid, and Joan are not idealized figures but relatable characters whose lives are shaped by their environment. This realism lends the poem a timeless quality; readers across centuries can identify with the universal experiences of cold, labor, and survival.

The Cycle of the Seasons

Shakespeare’s decision to end Love’s Labour’s Lost with Winter and its counterpart Spring reflects his broader fascination with the cycles of nature. The two poems act as bookends to human experience, highlighting the contrasts between abundance and austerity, life and dormancy. Yet they also suggest continuity; winter may be harsh, but spring will inevitably follow, bringing renewal. This cyclical view of time mirrors the rhythms of rural life and underscores the resilience of both nature and humanity.

The Poetic Legacy of Winter

The enduring charm of Shakespeare’s Winter lies in its ability to capture the essence of a season while transcending it. The poem’s rich imagery, playful sounds, and universal themes have made it a favorite among readers and performers alike. Its blend of realism and lyricism demonstrates Shakespeare’s mastery of language and his deep understanding of the human condition.

Elizabethan life and the timeless struggles and joys of enduring the cold. It reminds us to find beauty in hardship and to embrace the small comforts that sustain us. Above all, it celebrates the resilience of life, embodied in the cheerful call of the staring owl and the steady labor of greasy Joan.

Conclusion: A Poem for All Seasons

While Winter is ostensibly a song about a single season, its themes resonate far beyond the chill of December. It is a celebration of perseverance, an ode to the beauty of ordinary life, and a reminder that even in the darkest nights, there is music to be found. As we read or recite its lines, we too become part of the enduring cycle of human experience that Shakespeare so masterfully captured.