A Little Madness in the Spring

A Little Madness in the Spring - meaning Summary

Spring's Sanctioned Brief Madness

The poem presents the idea that a small, childish wildness in springtime is healthy and even acceptable for the powerful, but dangerous for the marginalized. Dickinson contrasts the King, who can indulge in seasonal abandon, with the Clown, who is vulnerable when he treats the world as a personal experiment. The closing image questions who may safely participate in nature’s renewal and who pays the cost for such freedom.