April is the cruelest month......

Several responses in Pod #4 focused on that line from T.S. Eliot's The Wasteland.

This is a line I have taught, discussed, pondered many times. I have asked for interpretations on short answer/essay tests for the juniors.  It is an option for reflection in Pod #4.

Yesterday my husband and I were in Lafayette for a doctor's appointment (follow up on his February foot surgery), then stopping at Menards, Home Depot, and Lowe's in search of Hot Shot which is the only thing we can spray around our house to keep the ladybugs out!

At one point my husband asked if I wanted to buy some flowers (pansies specifically) to plant since it was such a beautiful day, warm and sunny.  My answer?  No.  Why?  Because April is the cruelest month.

There are many interpretations for this line and I am sure that if T. S. Eliot were to read them, he would probably shake his head and snicker at how all of us had missed his intent when penning those lines for the poem.

My feeling is that poetry is meant to be interpreted by the reader, bringing into that interpretation life's reflections, experiences, and events.  How can one reader tell another that he/she is wrong in his/her interpretation?  Unless one reader insists that William Carlos Williams was writing about abortion in the poem about cold plums in the refrigerator or some such thing, any interpretation would be valid and should be considered.  Side note: that I why I always told my high school students that if an essay question asked for his/her interpretation of a quote or a passage, as long as it was answered and reflected on the passage or quote, the credit would be given. Only blank or way out there interpretations would be scrutinized for partial or no credit.

Therefore....my interpretation of that line is that April is cruel because it tempts us (as with the sunny warm weather yesterday) that spring has indeed arrived.  It gives us the impression that we can wear shorts and flip flops and put away mittens, hats, and scarves plus every pair of boots we own for the summer.  We can take all of our winter coats to the dry cleaners because their time is OVER!  However, I remember on April 8, 1982, at my daughter's first birthday party.  There was so much snow that my husband, his brother, and his dad had to push cars out of the snowdrifts in our drive. April!  I remember being a chaperone on my second daughter's first grade field trip to Indiana Beach in 1990.  One of the greatly anticipated events for the kids was a ride on the top level of the Shaffer Queen.  That particular day  in late April we were wearing heavy coats, hats, and gloves on that ride because it was so cold and blustery.  The kids' teeth were chattering and they were freezing.  The most beautiful blooming flowers can be covered with ice and snow during a brief sudden storm in April.  Fruit tree blossoms can be frozen by a sudden dip in temperatures after being tricked into blooming by days of warmer weather.

Yes, April is the cruelest month.  She tricks us, she tempts us, she teases us.

I still love April though.  Both of our daughters were born in April. Some of my favorite flowers are those that bloom in late April and early May.  The flowering trees in April/May are always gorgeous.  Easter is usually in April. and that means family gatherings once again after a long winter's hibernation.

And with that.....Enjoy April!  Happy Spring!