The first three stanzas start with a light, cheerful, and almost childlike tone to demonstrate how much the poet's loved one would have enjoyed the activity in question, be it a party, a dinner or the witnessing of the first snowdrops. Each of these stanzas begins with a pleasing regular rhythm which seems to emphasise the wholesome enjoyment that the loved one mentioned would have derived from the activity.

The poet's choice of diction in the beginning of each of these three stanzas further highlights the pleasing nature of the activity. In the first stanza, the alliterative effect of "bright-hatted" lends a crisp, pleasing and bright lilt to the tone...