The speaker in “Girl’s Song” watches a poplar being tossed and tormented by the wind, its silvery undersides flashing, and thinks of a missing lover. The wind’s roughness, she suggests, is like his treatment of her—rough yet mixed with caresses, and she longs to have him back. Then she turns to an oak that stands steady against a tearing blast, the way her anger once steadied and passed when he hurt her pride. The poem is not simply about abuse; it’s about missing a passion so intense that even its painful side feels desirable in memory. The mood is restless and aching, full of movement and weather, caught between resentment and overwhelming desire. The natural images keep the feeling immediate, as if grief and longing are blowing through the landscape itself.
Girl’s Song — Summary
The tossing poplar in the wind Shows underleaf of silver-white; The roughness of the wind unkind Torments her out of all delight. But O that he were here Whose blows and whose caresses alike were dear! The great oak to the tearing blast Stands steady with strong arms held wide, So over him my anger passed, When his rough usage hurt my pride. But O that once again I might arouse that passion, endure that pain!