May-Day

From the title of the poem, readers know that this is a poem about going “maying” – that is, celebrating the May-Day holiday. This theme is important to the poem, as every single stanza ends with an exhortation to Corinna, ending in the words “a-maying” (28). The speaker continually returns to this image of may-day, and of celebrating it, as the central setting and as a central theme within the poem.

May Day is a holiday that takes place on the first day of May every year. It is still celebrated in many cultures (in modern times, it has actually become a holiday celebrating the labor rights movement) but it has very ancient roots. It is celebrated across Europe. The earliest documented May Day celebrations date back to the Roman Empire, but it is likely that these festivals are even older. They are associated with pagan roots, and...