Seasons Spring: Life Beginning Youth and childhood Hope, fresh, anticipatory Fresh start, new beginning, rebirth, resurrection Summer: Life in Full Swing Young adulthood Energy, vitality Dusty and stifling Romance and fulfillment Passion, lust, love, anger Emotions associated with heat Fall: Life is reaped/winding down Middle age Fatigue and tiredness Harvest, abundance, prosperity Gratitude Declining Winter: Life is dormant/dead Old age and death Anger, resentment, discontent, or hatred Emotions associated with coldness Worry and anxiety Clean, fresh The end Uses of Seasons in Lit. Plot device Irony (things happen in the opposite season we expect) Symbolism characters personality, relationships, theme, tone, reveal emotions Foreshadow Pattern Examples of Seasons Shakespeare Midsummer Nights Dream Twelfth Night (last day of Christmas) A Winters Tale Shall I compare you to a summers day?/ Thou art more lovely and more temperate. The Mamas and Papas California Dreamin Robert Frost After Apple Picking Hades and Persephone What do I do now? Recognize the patterns Look for variations and nuances Ask questions: Is this a plot device or something more? Is this straightforward or ironic? What fall be counting our accomplishments or winding down life? Could summer stand for just x or is it also y and z?