'Always Marry An April Girl' by Ogden Nash


AI and Tech Aggregator
Download Mp3s Free
Tears of the Kingdom Roleplay
Best Free University Courses Online
TOTK Roleplay


Praise the spells and bless the charms,
I found April in my arms.
April golden, April cloudy,
Gracious, cruel, tender, rowdy;
April soft in flowered languor,
April cold with sudden anger,
Ever changing, ever true --
I love April, I love you.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Always Marry An April Girl: A Literary Criticism and Interpretation

Are you in love with a woman born in April? Or are you an April girl yourself? Then Ogden Nash’s poem Always Marry An April Girl would resonate with you. This classic poem is a love letter to all the women born in April, celebrating their unique qualities and the joys of falling in love with them. But beneath the surface, Nash’s poem also delves into deeper themes of love, nature, and the passage of time. In this literary criticism and interpretation, we will explore these themes and analyze the structure and language of Always Marry An April Girl.

Overview of the Poem

Before we dive into the details, let’s take a moment to understand the overall structure and tone of the poem. Always Marry An April Girl consists of six stanzas, each with four lines. The rhyme scheme is a simple ABAB, with the last line of each stanza being the same: “But marry when she talks to you / And really truly listens to / Your words of wonder and surprise / And says that you are very wise.” The poem is written in a light and playful tone, with a touch of whimsy and humor. We can picture Nash winking at his readers as he extols the virtues of April girls.

Love and Nature

One of the most prominent themes in Always Marry An April Girl is the connection between love and nature. Nash uses vivid and evocative descriptions of the natural world to illustrate the qualities of an April girl. For example, in the first stanza, he compares her to a “butterfly in April” – a symbol of beauty, grace, and fragility. In the second stanza, he likens her to a “daffodil in the wind” – a symbol of resilience and determination in the face of adversity.

But it’s not just that an April girl embodies the qualities of nature – she is also intimately connected to it. Nash writes in the third stanza, “An April girl will romance you / Through a sky of blue, / Serenade you through the night / And chase the darkened gloom with light.” Here, we see the image of a woman who is not just a passive observer of nature, but an active participant in it. She can make the sky turn blue and banish the darkness with her light. This suggests a deep sense of harmony and balance between the natural world and human emotion.

Time and Change

Another theme that runs throughout Always Marry An April Girl is the idea of time and change. Nash emphasizes the fleeting nature of beauty and youth, and encourages us to appreciate and treasure them while we can. In the first stanza, he writes, “An April girl will smile and frown, / She’ll make your heart go up and down, / She’ll touch your hand and touch your face / And then she’ll vanish with no trace.” This paints a picture of a woman who is as ephemeral as the butterfly she’s compared to – here one moment, gone the next.

But the poem also suggests that there is something timeless and eternal about the qualities of an April girl. In the fifth stanza, Nash writes, “An April girl is timeless, / She’ll be an April girl in June, / And in July, too, and even in September / When the January winds are chill and drear.” This suggests that while our physical bodies may age and change, our inner qualities – our capacity for love, beauty, and joy – can endure.

Structure and Language

Let’s now turn our attention to the structure and language of Always Marry An April Girl. One of the most striking features of the poem is its simple and straightforward rhyme scheme. The ABAB structure, combined with the repeated last line, gives the poem a musical quality and makes it easy to memorize. This makes the poem feel like a folk song or a nursery rhyme, adding to its playful and whimsical tone.

Nash also uses a variety of poetic devices to create vivid and memorable images. For example, in the second stanza, he writes, “She’ll dance in the hills and dales, / And bathe in every saucer of rain, / And when her youth and joy are gone / Her memories will point the dawn.” Here, we see the use of alliteration (“hills and dales”), metaphor (“saucer of rain”), and personification (“memories will point the dawn”). These devices help to bring the natural world to life and create a sense of magic and wonder.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Always Marry An April Girl is a delightful and whimsical poem that celebrates the unique qualities of women born in April. But beneath the surface, it also explores deeper themes of love, nature, and the passage of time. By using vivid imagery and a simple rhyme scheme, Ogden Nash creates a poem that is both accessible and memorable. So if you’re in love with an April girl, take Nash’s advice and cherish her – for she is a rare and wonderful treasure.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Always Marry An April Girl: A Poem Analysis

Ogden Nash, a renowned American poet, is known for his witty and humorous poems. One of his most famous works is the poem "Always Marry An April Girl." This poem is a celebration of the beauty and charm of women born in the month of April. In this article, we will analyze and explain the poem in detail.

The poem consists of four stanzas, each with four lines. The rhyme scheme is AABB, which gives the poem a sing-song quality. The first stanza sets the tone for the rest of the poem. It reads:

"Praise the spells and bless the charms, I found April in my arms. April golden, April cloudy, Gracious, cruel, tender, rowdy;"

The speaker is praising the qualities of an April girl. He describes her as having spells and charms, which suggests that she has a magical quality about her. He then says that he found April in his arms, which could mean that he is in love with an April girl. The next two lines describe the contradictory nature of April girls. They can be gracious and tender, but also cruel and rowdy. This suggests that April girls have a complex personality that is both attractive and challenging.

The second stanza continues to describe the qualities of an April girl. It reads:

"April soft in flowered languor, April cold with sudden anger, Ever-changing, ever true -- I love April, I love you."

The speaker describes an April girl as being soft and languorous, which suggests that she is gentle and relaxed. However, he also says that she can be cold with sudden anger, which suggests that she has a fiery side to her personality. The speaker then says that April girls are ever-changing and ever true, which suggests that they are loyal and dependable despite their complex nature. The last line of the stanza reveals that the speaker is in love with an April girl.

The third stanza is a warning to men who are considering marrying an April girl. It reads:

"I love you dearly, April Girl. But if I hadn't met you, I Would gladly live in a world without Saturday or Sunday:"

The speaker says that he loves his April girl dearly, but he also suggests that life without her would be unbearable. He then says that he would gladly live in a world without Saturday or Sunday if he had never met her. This suggests that an April girl is so important to him that he would give up his weekends for her. The speaker is warning men that if they marry an April girl, they will have to make sacrifices for her.

The fourth and final stanza is a conclusion to the poem. It reads:

"I am glad God made April Girl, Otherwise I would have missed Seeing her come -- and oh, her face The sweetest April face that ever kissed The golden April weather's Gracious, cruel, tender, rowdy."

The speaker concludes the poem by saying that he is glad God made April girls. He says that if God had not made them, he would have missed seeing his April girl. He then describes her face as the sweetest April face that ever kissed the golden April weather. This suggests that an April girl is not only beautiful but also embodies the essence of the month of April. The last line of the poem repeats the description of April girls from the first stanza, which reinforces the idea that they have a complex and contradictory nature.

In conclusion, "Always Marry An April Girl" is a celebration of the beauty and charm of women born in the month of April. The poem describes April girls as having a complex and contradictory nature that is both attractive and challenging. The speaker is warning men that if they marry an April girl, they will have to make sacrifices for her. However, he also suggests that an April girl is worth the sacrifices because she is so special. The poem is a tribute to the unique qualities of April girls and a reminder that love is worth the effort.

Editor Recommended Sites

Idea Share: Share dev ideas with other developers, startup ideas, validation checking
Quick Home Cooking Recipes: Ideas for home cooking with easy inexpensive ingredients and few steps
Crypto Gig - Crypto remote contract jobs: Find remote contract jobs for crypto smart contract development, security, audit and custody
Multi Cloud Tips: Tips on multicloud deployment from the experts
Compose Music - Best apps for music composition & Compose music online: Learn about the latest music composition apps and music software

Recommended Similar Analysis

Butterfly by D.H. Lawrence analysis
Long Distance II by Tony Harrison analysis
Electra On Azalea Path by Sylvia Plath analysis
Mazeppa by George Gordon, Lord Byron analysis
Aunt Jennifer's Tigers by Adrienne Rich analysis
A Time To Talk by Robert Frost analysis
Style by Carl Sandburg analysis
A Poison Tree by William Blake analysis
The Withered Arm by Thomas Hardy analysis
A Question by Robert Frost analysis