To My Sister by William Wordsworth (Poem, Summary, Paraphrase & Analysis)

 

To My Sister

by William Wordsworth

(Poem, Summary, Paraphrase & Analysis) 

To My Sister

It is the first mild day of March:

Each minute sweeter than before,

The redbreast sings from the tall larch

That stands beside our door.

 

There is a blessing in the air,

Which seems a sense of joy to yield

To the bare trees, and mountains bare,

And grass in the green field.

 

My Sister! ('tis a wish of mine)

Now that our morning meal is done,

Make haste, your morning task resign;

Come forth and feel the sun.

 

Edward will come with you;—and pray,

Put on with speed your woodland dress;

And bring no book: for this one day

We'll give to idleness.

 

No joyless forms shall regulate

Our living Calendar:

We from to-day, my Friend, will date

The opening of the year.

 

Love, now a universal birth,

From heart to heart is stealing,

From earth to man, from man to earth:

—It is the hour of feeling.

 

One moment now may give us more

Than fifty years of reason:

Our minds shall drink at every pore

The spirit of the season.

 

Some silent laws our hearts may make,

Which they shall long obey:

We for the year to come may take

Our temper from to-day.

 

And from the blessed power that rolls

About, below, above,

We'll frame the measure of our souls:

They shall be tuned to love.

 

Then come, my Sister! come, I pray,

With speed put on your woodland dress;

—And bring no book: for this one day

We'll give to idleness.

 

Summary

William Wordsworth’s poem To My Sister opens with the description of a fresh March morning, the first truly mild day of the year. The poet notices the beauty of nature surrounding him. Each passing minute feels sweeter, and the redbreast (robin) sings cheerfully from a tall larch tree standing beside the house. The atmosphere carries a sense of blessing and joy, which seems to spread to all parts of the landscape—the bare trees, the open mountains, and the green fields.

After describing this scene, the poet directly addresses his sister. He expresses a wish that, now their morning meal is over, she should leave aside her household tasks and come outside to enjoy the sunlight. He invites her to join him, along with their brother Edward, for a walk in nature. He urges her to put on her simple outdoor dress quickly and, importantly, to bring no books with her. On this particular day, he wants to set aside all work and study, dedicating the day to relaxation and idleness.

The poet then explains that their time together should not be controlled by strict or dull routines. Instead, they should mark this day as the true beginning of the year. It is a day filled with joy, and its spirit should guide them. He observes how love and warmth seem to flow everywhere—from nature to people and from people back to nature. This is a special moment, he suggests, when feelings are stronger than reason. Even a single moment spent in harmony with the season can be more rewarding than years of intellectual pursuits.

The poet continues by saying that this day may set the tone for their future. The quiet rules and resolutions they form in their hearts now could last throughout the year. The power of the natural world—circling around them and embracing everything—can inspire and shape their souls, tuning them to love and kindness.

Finally, the poem closes with a repeated invitation. He once again urges his sister to hurry, put on her woodland clothes, and come outside. He repeats his earlier request that she bring no book, since this day should be devoted entirely to simple enjoyment and leisure.

In short, the poem is a warm invitation from the poet to his sister to step away from daily duties and share with him a joyful spring day outdoors, letting the spirit of nature guide their hearts toward love and harmony.

 

Line-by-line Paraphrase

Stanza 1

It is the first mild day of March:

-> Today is the first gentle and pleasant day of March.

 

Each minute sweeter than before,

-> Every passing moment feels more delightful than the last.

 

The redbreast sings from the tall larch

-> A robin is singing from the tall larch tree.

 

That stands beside our door.

-> That tree stands right next to our home.

 

Stanza 2

There is a blessing in the air,

-> The atmosphere itself feels full of blessing.

 

Which seems a sense of joy to yield

-> It gives off a sense of happiness.

 

To the bare trees, and mountains bare,

-> Even the leafless trees and open, barren mountains feel touched by it.

 

And grass in the green field.

-> The green grass in the fields also shares in this joy.

 

Stanza 3

My Sister! ('tis a wish of mine)

-> My sister, I have a desire in my heart.

 

Now that our morning meal is done,

-> Since we have finished our breakfast,

 

Make haste, your morning task resign;

-> Please leave aside your household duties quickly.

 

Come forth and feel the sun.

-> Come outside and enjoy the warmth of the sunlight.

 

Stanza 4

Edward will come with you;—and pray,

-> Our brother Edward will also join us, and I ask you,

 

Put on with speed your woodland dress;

-> Quickly put on your simple outdoor clothes.

 

And bring no book: for this one day

-> And don’t bring any books, because for today,

 

We'll give to idleness.

-> We will dedicate ourselves to rest and leisure.

 

Stanza 5

No joyless forms shall regulate

-> Our time will not be ruled by dull routines or strict patterns.

 

Our living Calendar:

-> We won’t follow a rigid schedule.

 

We from to-day, my Friend, will date

-> Instead, let us mark this day

 

The opening of the year.

-> As the true beginning of our year.

 

Stanza 6

Love, now a universal birth,

-> Love is now springing everywhere, like a new life.

 

From heart to heart is stealing,

-> It is quietly moving from one heart to another.

 

From earth to man, from man to earth:

-> Flowing both from nature to people and from people back to nature.

 

—It is the hour of feeling.

-> This is the special time when emotions are awakened.

 

Stanza 7

One moment now may give us more

-> A single moment spent like this can give us more joy and meaning

 

Than fifty years of reason:

-> Than fifty years of rational thought or study.

 

Our minds shall drink at every pore

-> Our minds will absorb deeply, through every part of us,

 

The spirit of the season.

-> The lively spirit that this season brings.

 

Stanza 8

Some silent laws our hearts may make,

-> Our hearts might quietly set some guiding principles,

 

Which they shall long obey:

-> Which we will follow for a long time.

 

We for the year to come may take

-> We may shape the coming year’s outlook

 

Our temper from to-day.

-> According to the mood and spirit of this day.

 

Stanza 9

And from the blessed power that rolls

-> And from the divine or natural power that moves around us—

 

About, below, above,

-> Surrounding us in every direction—above, below, and all around,

 

We'll frame the measure of our souls:

-> We will shape the character of our hearts,

 

They shall be tuned to love.

-> So that they will be guided and harmonized by love.

 

Stanza 10

Then come, my Sister! come, I pray,

-> So come, my sister, I sincerely urge you.

 

With speed put on your woodland dress;

-> Quickly put on your simple outdoor clothes.

 

—And bring no book: for this one day

-> And do not bring a book, because today,

 

We'll give to idleness.

-> We will dedicate to rest and simple enjoyment.

 

Analysis in Detail

William Wordsworth’s To My Sister is a lyrical invitation that captures the poet’s philosophy of simplicity, nature, and shared human affection. Written in March 1798, the poem addresses his sister Dorothy and sets out to persuade her to leave behind domestic tasks and books, so that together they may enjoy the blessings of a spring morning. While the surface is a warm family address, underneath lies Wordsworth’s central themes: the restorative power of nature, the importance of living in the present moment, and the conviction that emotional experience outweighs cold reason.

The poem begins with a vivid setting. It is the first mild day of March, and the atmosphere is one of freshness and renewal. The robin sings from the larch tree by the house, and there is a palpable sense of blessing in the air. This opening situates the poem firmly in the natural world, where joy radiates not only through the green fields but also into the bare trees and mountains. Wordsworth deliberately presents this season of transition as a spiritual and emotional gift, a moment that feels like the true beginning of the year.

From this natural backdrop, the poet turns directly to his sister. He warmly urges her to abandon her morning chores and come outside into the sunlight. He also includes their brother Edward, making the call a familial one, but the address to Dorothy is the most personal. Significantly, he insists that she bring no book. Wordsworth is making a case against study and routine for this one day, preferring the “idleness” of being with nature. This is not idleness in a negative sense but rather leisure that nourishes the soul, a reprieve from structured duties.

The middle stanzas shift toward a philosophical reflection. Wordsworth rejects “joyless forms” that regulate human life, such as calendars and fixed routines. Instead, he proposes that they treat this day as the true opening of the year, measured not by human constructs but by the rhythms of nature. This moment, he suggests, holds more meaning than “fifty years of reason.” He highlights his conviction that feeling and emotional connection with the natural world can yield more wisdom and joy than a lifetime of intellectual calculation. This idea is central to Romantic poetry, which values intuition and emotion over rationalism.

A key image in the poem is that of love spreading universally. Wordsworth describes love as a “universal birth,” moving from earth to man and man back to earth. Here, he portrays harmony between humanity and nature, a unity that the season of spring brings forth. The poem suggests that the natural world not only reflects joy but actively inspires it, creating a bond between environment and human heart.

Wordsworth also reflects on the lasting impact of such a day. He suggests that the “silent laws” formed in their hearts now will guide them for a long time. The temper, or mood, they adopt on this day may shape their whole year. Thus, the day is not merely an interlude of leisure but a formative experience that has moral and emotional consequences. In this way, Wordsworth elevates a simple walk in nature into a shaping influence for life itself.

The closing stanza repeats the invitation with gentle urgency. Again, he calls on his sister to dress quickly, leave books behind, and devote the day to idleness. By returning to this refrain, Wordsworth ties the poem together, balancing his lofty reflections with the simple, affectionate plea that began it. The repetition underscores both the poet’s eagerness and his belief in the importance of this shared experience.

In sum, To My Sister is more than a pastoral invitation; it is a manifesto of Wordsworth’s poetic ideals. It presents nature as a source of joy, renewal, and moral strength, accessible through shared experience and unburdened leisure. The poem balances intimacy—an affectionate address to his sister—with universality, as it extends a vision of harmony between humankind and the natural world. It celebrates the present moment as sacred and powerful, and it insists that love and feeling should be the true guides of life.