Chapter coming: Coming | Short Questions

The light is described as 'chill and yellow' and it 'bathes the serene foreheads of houses.' This description creates an atmosphere of coldness and stillness. The word 'chill' reminds us that winter hasn't fully left, while 'yellow' suggests the pale, weak sun of early spring. It paints a picture of a quiet, suburban evening where everything is waiting for a change. This serene but cold setting makes the eventual 'astonishment' caused by the bird’s song much more powerful.

The 'brickwork' represents the solid, man-made, and unchanging parts of the world. By saying the thrush's voice 'astonishes' the bricks, Larkin suggests that the arrival of spring is so powerful and unexpected that it affects even inanimate objects. It breaks the monotony of the urban environment. This personification shows how the energy of nature can transform a dull, everyday scene into something filled with life and wonder, signaling that a major change is about to occur.

The 'unusual laughter' refers to the joy felt in a house after adults have reconciled. To a child, this laughter sounds different because it follows a period of tension and silence. In the context of the poem, it symbolizes the sudden, inexplicable happiness the speaker feels as spring approaches. After the long, 'bored' silence of winter, the sounds of life returning to nature feel like this 'unusual laughter'—a sign that peace and joy have been restored to the world.

The bird acts as a messenger. While the houses and gardens are silent and cold, the thrush is the first to notice and announce the change in the atmosphere. Its song travels from the 'deep bare garden' into the ears of the speaker, triggering his memories and emotions. By reacting to the bird, the speaker connects his own internal feelings of happiness to the external biological cycle of the seasons, showing that humans are not separate from the natural world.

The phrase suggests a shift from conflict or tension to harmony. For the speaker, winter might represent a period of emotional coldness or adult worries. 'Adult reconciling' implies that these tensions are being resolved. The speaker's state of mind moves from adult cynicism and 'boredom' to a simpler, child-like state of relief and joy. He doesn't need to understand 'why' he is happy, just as a child doesn't understand the reconciliation; he simply enjoys the renewed sense of peace.