A spring storm catches the speaker off guard, bringing back a memory she thought she had left behind. With the first thunder and rush of rain, she suddenly recalls standing in a darkened doorway with someone while the storm swept through. The street became a river, and passing buses swayed through water lit into little golden waves by the streetlamps. In all that wild weather, her heart felt wild and happy, and the other person’s eyes said more than words ever could. The memory is vivid and physical, full of excitement and longing. By repeating the opening lines at the end, Teasdale makes the return of memory feel as sudden and overwhelming as the spring storm itself—brief, powerful, and impossible to hold back.
Spring Rain — Summary
I thought I had forgotten, But it all came back again To-night with the first spring thunder In a rush of rain.
I remembered a darkened doorway Where we stood while the storm swept by, Thunder gripping the earth And lightning scrawled on the sky.
The passing motor busses swayed, For the street was a river of rain, Lashed into little golden waves In the lamp light's stain.
With the wild spring rain and thunder My heart was wild and gay; Your eyes said more to me that night Than your lips would ever say. . . .
I thought I had forgotten, But it all came back again To-night with the first spring thunder In a rush of rain.