Spring Waking
 
1st stanza:

A snowdrop lay in the sweet dark ground,
“Come out,” said the sun. “Come out!”
But she lay quite still and she heard no sound;
“Asleep,” said the sun, “no doubt!”
 
2nd stanza:

The snowdrop heard, for she raised her head.
“Look spry,” said the sun, “look spry!”
“It’s warm,” said the snowdrop, “here in bed.”
“Oh, fie!” said the sun, “oh, fie!”
 
3rd stanza:

“You call too soon, Mr. Sun, you do!”
“No, no,” said the sun, “oh, no!”
“There’s something above and I can’t see through.” “It’s snow,” said the sun, “just snow!”
 
4th stanza:

“But I say, Mr. Sun, are the robins here?”
“Maybe,” said the sun, “maybe.”
“There wasn’t a bird when you called last year.” “Come out,” said the sun, “and see!”
 
5th stanza:

The snowdrop sighed, for she liked her nap,
And there wasn’t a bird in sight,
But she popped out of bed in her white nightcap.
“That’s right!” said the sun, “that’s right!”
 
6th stanza:

And, soon as the small nightcap was seen,
A robin began to sing,
The air grew warm and the grass turned green.
“ ‘Tis spring! ” laughed the sun, “ ‘tis spring! ”
 
- Isabel Ecclestone Mackay.

The snowdrop in this poem is a little white flower - one of the first flowers that comes up in the spring. It’s “nightcap” (flower) can often be seen blooming through the snow. The snowdrop has been under ground all winter. When spring comes, it is time for it to grow above ground and bloom. Practice reading the poem with a friend or family member with expression.
 
Answer the Questions.
 
The 1st stanza :
 
1. How long has the little snowdrop in the poem been sleeping?
 
2.a. Who calls the snowdrop? 2.b. What is said to the snowdrop? (Read the second line.)
 
3. Does the little snowdrop hear him?
 
4. What does the sun say next? (Read the fourth line in the way the sun talks.)
 
The 2nd stanza :
 
1. What does the snowdrop do?
 
2. What does the sun say? (Read the second line as you think the sun says it.)
 
3. Does the little snowdrop want to come out?
 
4. What does she say and how does she say it? (Read the third line.)
 
5. What does the sun say next? How does he say it? What does “Oh, fie!” mean?
 
 
The 3rd stanza :
 
1. What excuse does the snowdrop give for not getting up? (Read her sleepy, cross words.)
 
2. Does the sun think he has called the snowdrop too soon? How does he say it?
 
3. What is the next excuse the snowdrop gives for not getting up?
 
4.a. Does the sun think she should stay back for some snow? 4.b. Say it as the sun would.
 
The 4th stanza :
 
1. The little snowdrop does not want to come out by herself so she asks about some of her friends, the robins. (Read the first line. Does the sun tell her if the robins have come back?)
 
2. Why do you think the sun will not say yes or no? (Read the last line.)
 
The 5th stanza :
 
1. What does the snowdrop do now?
 
2. How does the sun feel when the snowdrop pops out? Say it the way the sun would.
 
The 6th stanza :
 
1. As soon as the snowdrop shows her nightcap above ground, who sees her?
 
2. What does the robin do?
 
3. What else happens?
 
4. How does the sun feel? (Read the last line as the sun would.)
 
Answers to “Spring Waking.” Looking At A Poem In Depth.
 
1st stanza: 1. All winter; 2.a. The sun; 2.b. “Come out”; 3. No; 4. The sun has to speak a little louder so the little snowdrop hears him. “Asleep, no doubt!”
 
2nd stanza: 1. She wakes up slowly; 2. “Look spry, look spry!” “Look spry” means hurry up; 3. No; 4. “It’s warm here in bed.” She is warm in her bed and does not want to come out in the cold snow; 5. “Oh fie, oh fie!” “Oh, fie” means,“What a shame!”
 
3rd stanza: 1. “You call too soon, Mr. Sun, you do!” She tells the sun he is calling her too soon; 2. “No! no! oh, no!”; 3. She cannot see through something above her; 4.a. No; 4.b. “It is just snow!”
 
4th stanza: 1. He says “maybe”; 2. He wants the snowdrop to come out and see for herself.
 
5th stanza: 1. She sighs and pops out her white nightcap which is her flower; 2. “That right, that’s right!” The sun is very pleased.  
 
6th stanza: 1. A robin; 2. He begins to sing; 3. The air grows warm and the grass grows green; 4. ‘Tis spring, ‘tis spring!” He laughs and says it is spring. He is happy.