April, the Jester by Ruth Collie
"April, the Jester" is a short personification poem by Ruth Collie that casts the month of April as a fickle court jester arriving gleefully on earth, fully aware that her merriment will likely dissolve into tears before long. Collie frames April not as a season of steady renewal but as a trickster figure — "queen of fun" — who dons a jester's cap and bells and carries a Punchinello puppet, sharing private jokes with "Brother Wind" that mere mortals cannot decipher. The poem's central warning is explicit: April's laughter cannot be trusted, since her cheerful opening act is only prelude to a jest at the reader's expense. She whispers false promises of "Perfect weather," and the poem cautions the reader to see through this deception rather than be fooled by it, tying April directly to the tradition of April Fools' mischief. Dressed in flaunting motley, she wears a mocking, taunting smile, and the speaker concludes that everyone is made a fool by her on this day. Yet the piece also bounds her mischief in time: April is permitted to "play the Jester" for only "four and twenty hours," after which she must return to her true duty — the earth awaiting her characteristic smiles (sunshine) and showers (rain), the more nurturing, dependable role expected of the month once its opening jest has passed. In this way the poem balances whimsy against responsibility, portraying April as a personified figure who indulges in a single day of playful deception before settling into her seasonal obligations of alternating sun and rain that sustain the awakening earth. The tone throughout is light, rhythmic, and admonitory, structured as a direct address to the reader, cautioning against naivety while still celebrating the charm of April's brief, roguish performance as the calendar's resident trickster before spring's steadier work resumes.
By Ruth Collie · First published 1927 · Genre: Poetry, Children's Literature, Nature Poetry · 245 words
First lines
Hark to April's merry laughter! Glad is she to reach this earth. / Perhaps she'll weep a minute after -- sorrow often follows mirth. Not / to-day, though, will she sorrow; she's our Jester, queen of fun. / Time enough to weep to-morrow, when her roguishness is done. Cap and / bells is April wearing, Punchinello in her hand; jokes with Brother / Wind she's sharing, mortals cannot understand. Oh! beware of April's / laughter; trust her not, she is not true. First she laughs -- a minute / after, she will make a fool of you. Now I've warned you, you'll be / clever, quite prepared for April's wit. Let her whisper "Perfect / weather," you'll not be deceived by it! April her attire is / flaunting, cap and bells and motley gay; and her smile is mocking, / taunting -- April's fools are we to-day. Play the Jester, little / April, just for four and twenty hours. Then to duty, naughty / April -- earth awaits your smiles and show'rs.
What this Textopian page supports
April, the Jester is listed on Textopian as a poem by Ruth Collie, dated 1927 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Ruth Collie
- Date: 1927 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Children's Literature, Nature Poetry, Humorous Poetry, Cautionary Poetry
- Length: 245 words
- Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for April, the Jester by Ruth Collie
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Genres
- Poetry — The work employs consistent rhyming verse with rhythmic meter, establishing poetry as the foundational genre based on formal structure and literary style.
- Children's Literature — Whimsical personification, accessible rhyme scheme, playful tone, and themes of mischief and pranks indicate strong appeal to and suitability for young readers.
- Nature Poetry — Centered on April as a seasonal entity with natural imagery and weather phenomena, making nature and the specifics of spring the work's primary thematic focus.
- Humorous Poetry — Employs wit, jokes, pranks, and jester-based humor as central themes, with the protagonist role serving as a trickster figure designed to amuse through mischief.
Tags
fiction · children's literature · young adult fiction · historical fiction · adventure · medieval setting · royal court · court jester · humor · friendship · courage · loyalty