17 pages • 34 minutes read
Phillis LevinEnd of April
Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1995A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Cherry Trees
A blossoming cherry tree can symbolize many things. In several cultures, it represents the fleeting nature of life, since its blooms only last a short time before dropping or withering away. This corresponds with Levin’s speaker’s lost connection with the “you,” since a cherry tree in full bloom represents a healthy vitality and vibrancy. In Japan specifically, there are differing meanings regarding the name of the cherry tree, sakura (See: Further Reading & Resources). The first is a practical translation, something that is known for putting forth flowers. The second, and more relevant to Levin’s poem, is a lodging chosen by a spirit. The cherry tree thus symbolizes both the vitality and beauty of nature and its fragility.
The “Delicate Toy”
The speaker compares the eggshell to “a delicate toy” (Line 8). Since the speaker has already established that they have been thinking of someone before they see the eggshell, they equate the eggshell to the relationship they are remembering. It suggests that the relationship was treated as a plaything. However, it was also “delicate” (Line 8) suggesting that it should have been handled with care, like a porcelain doll or a toy with a spring that could easily be broken. The assumption was the eggshell would remain intact and produce something, but while it is not “shattered” (Line 3), it is, in fact, damaged beyond repair. The broken egg mirrors the severing of the speaker’s connection to the unknown “you” and invokes The Experience of Loss.
The “Missing Crown”
The eggshell has a “missing crown” (Line 16), which is the only thing that mars its perfection. This missing piece serves as a symbol in two ways. First, it lets the speaker peer inside the egg, and see it as “hollow” (Line 14). The opening also clearly explains that the bird does not reside in the eggshell, nor does its dead body remain in the shell. There is a sense of a lack of closure with the image, reflecting the disquiet the speaker feels. Lastly, it is the only thing that mars the “perfect[ion]” of the eggshell. This suggests that some wholeness or capstone event was absent from the relationship. Either someone was not as invested as another, which would speak to the “hollow[ness]” (Line 14) or an event occurred that obliterated a sense of consummation or conclusion.
