A Song by Virna Sheard (1917)

Name: A Song
Author: Virna Sheard

The work is a lyrical meditation on the transformative power of love, using the changing seasons as extended metaphors for the internal states of the heart. It contrasts the external environment with the subjective experience of love, asserting that the presence of love brings its own warmth and brightness regardless of the natural conditions. When love is present, even a season typically associated with cold and barrenness is rendered into a period of internal summer, symbolizing joy, vitality, and emotional abundance. Conversely, the absence of love transforms a period that might otherwise be pleasant into one marked by the chill and desolation of winter, emphasizing the deep emotional impact of separation. The poem’s language and structure underscore a central idea: love is a state of being that transcends predictable, external changes. This interplay between external seasons and internal emotions suggests that the subjective experience of love is not bound by time or place, but exists as an independent, self-sustaining force capable of altering perception and mood. The work employs vivid natural imagery—invoking familiar elements such as June, winter, heather, and frost—to illustrate how love creates a personal climate that can defy logical, physical order. This message is conveyed through a rhythmic, almost incantatory repetition that reinforces the inescapable truth that the heart’s condition dictates the nature of one’s inner world. Overall, the piece is an exploration of the paradoxical nature of love: it is both a shelter and a tempest, creating in its absence a cold, barren landscape, and in its embrace, a blossoming, perpetual summer. The poet uses this natural symbolism to communicate that the true measure of emotional warmth is not determined by external conditions but by the presence and reciprocation of love, which has the power to redefine personal experience beyond the confines of the literal seasons.

By Virna Sheard · First published 1917 · Genre: Poetry, Romance, Lyrical Poetry · 93 words

First lines

Love maketh its own summer time, 'Tis June, Love, when we are together, And little I care for the frost in the air, For the heart makes its own summer weather.

Love maketh its own winter time, And though the hills blossom with heather, If you are not near, 'tis December, my dear, For the heart makes its own winter weather.

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A Song is listed on Textopian as a poem by Virna Sheard, dated 1917 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Poem
Author: Virna Sheard
Date: 1917 CE
Language: English
Genres: Poetry, Romance, Lyrical Poetry, Pastoral
Length: 93 words
Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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Genres

Poetry — The work is written in verse with structured lines and rhythm characteristic of poetry.
Romance — The central theme revolves around love and its transformative power, making romance the prevailing element.
Lyrical Poetry — The language is musical and expressive, emphasizing personal emotion and introspection typical of lyrical poetry.
Pastoral — The use of seasonal imagery and natural metaphors evokes a connection to nature and traditional pastoral themes.