A little Madness in the Spring
A little Madness in the Spring
Is wholesome even for the King,
But God be with the Clown --
Who ponders this tremendous scene --
This whole Experiment of Green --
As if it were his own!
Like a great deal of Dickinson's work, this poem offers quite an array of different avenues for interpretation despite its rather compact, six-line, one stanza length. In her estimation of the trappings of what is colloquially known as "spring fever" she broaches upon man's relationship to nature, highlighting the idea that we do not truly own or understand it and condemning those who behave as if they do.
Dickinson's usage of the term "Experiment of Green" to describe nature and its beauty is particularly interesting, as it may lead one's interpretation on divergent paths based on who exactly the "experimenter" is, in this case most likely boiling down to either a personification of Nature or God himself. On the one hand, she could be examining Nature's relative unpredictability in this role, positioning the motions of the seasons not as concrete phases that are set in stone, but as something subject to change, much like the dependent variable of a scientific inquiry. This is especially poignant in a modern context, as climate change becomes an increasingly pressing issue. There may soon come a day where the results of Nature's "experimentation" become wildly different from what we've grown accustomed to. The fact that much of the responsibility for that may lay upon the shoulders of generations of "Clown[s]" who treated Earth "As if it were [their] own" is hard to ignore.
On the other hand, viewing God as the experimenter seems to welcome a connection to the deist philosophy that Dickinson would have likely had some exposure to, one that upholds the existence of a creator but believes that he has no real interaction with his creations. This kind of reading creates a compelling tension within the rest of the poem. How can God really "be with the Clown" who pridefully and greedily roams Earth if he is inherently distanced from humanity by principle? The notion that he cannot bleakly suggests that those who exploit the Earth for their own goals cannot be reached and are thus doomed to continue contributing to its downfall.
On this token, a political reading is also pertinent. Dickinson lived through much of the era of westward expansion and would have been no stranger to the concept of manifest destiny, or the idea that acquiring more territory was a quest thoroughly ordained and endorsed by God. The hubris involved in the presiding collective view that portrayed land and nature as commodities to be conquered and controlled rather than admired and respected, coupled with the often violent and destructive ramifications these undertakings would have, is certainly not lost on her. She appears to recognize that this is partly human nature in the poem's opening lines, considering it "wholesome even for the King." But it is clear that when she says "A little" she is making the important distinction that there are boundaries that can be overstepped and that we must be mindful of them if the "tremendous scene" that nature provides us is to have any hope of enduring.
Dickinson often used nature as a means of defining the world around her and equated it to a place of worship. Through this poem she rants about the power of nature and its liberation of ownership. It asserts that the unpredictability of “Spring” or nature is a necessary experience for those in power to remind them of their inferior position. Leadership is easy to conflate into ownership.
The speaker of this poem has a tone of pity and belittlement towards those who feel entitled to claim nature as his own. By referring to these individuals as clowns, the speaker reduces them to mere caricatures of actual people, and strips them of intelligence as nature cannot be claimed or tamed and anyone who believes otherwise is ignorant to reality. As the foundation of our world, nature was in existence long before man made his footprint and will continue to thrive long after his probable demise. A self-sustaining entity, nature’s survival is not dependent on outside assistance and the opposite is true for humans whose very livelihood is hinged on the state of their environment. The relationship of man with nature is not one of codependence but this fact is often overlooked considering the superiority of nature is not readily noticeable. And until man is crippled by life without the sustaining hand of nature, they will not realize the level of their dependence.
With clear-cut language, the meaning of this poem is difficult to misinterpret. Considering the length, every word had to be impactful. For instance, springtime is typically associated with beautiful weather, but the author chose to describe it as “madness.” This shows intent to conjure thoughts of the wild, unpredictability of nature. The perfect example of this can be seen in weather predictions; there have been instances when meteorologists have been inaccurate in their forecasts, over or underestimating the severity of storms. In fact, there are still weather patterns they are unable to predict like earthquakes, tsunamis, and the path of tornadoes which are the physical embodiment of the erraticity of nature. Further detail to language is seen in Dickinson’s decision to use “king” over other social standings like “merchant” or “civilian,” which places emphasis on power and influence. This is because of the ease with which those in positions of authority become swept away in mindsets of omnipotence and attempt to extend themselves over that which they do not control.
Furthermore, the form of this poem lends effortlessly to its theme as the inclusion of true rhyme gives a sing-song sensation and makes the poem ominous. It feels as though the speaker is addressing the reader directly and letting them in on a dark secret about the power of nature, warning them to proceed in reverence. Even the attention to capitalization seems like an intentional choice as Dickinson is keen to capitalize “Spring” but not “king” which is a nod to which is the superior force. Also an interesting twist of form, Dickinson chooses to use an exclamation mark to signal the conclusion of the poem rather than her famed dash. Having the option to give the poem an open ending, she takes a hard right and closes with a declarative statement. This not only demonstrates a passion for the subject matter but removes any room for argument or misinterpretation.
Many of the symbols here allude to the previously mentioned instinct to control and conquer. However, the speaker seems to argue against this, saying that madness is “wholesome” – or humbling – for a king to experience. In this instance, the king symbolizes the powerful and prideful men of Earth – the rule makers and shot callers. The chaos serves as a neutralizer to remind them of the natural hierarchy; though they rule the people, they do not rule the land. With this poem, Dickinson demonstrates nature’s ability to remind us who is boss and calls for mercy on those who do not heed the warning.