Birch tree - "Matins (#1)," "Matins (#4)

In "Matins (#1)," the birch tree is a symbol of serenity and happiness for the poet. She expresses her belief to her son Noah that her appreciation for the tree disproves his notion that depressed people dislike springtime because it conflicts with their internal feelings. However, Noah contends that this actually proves his point; he thinks that a truly contented person would enjoy and admire the entire garden rather than one specific feature of it. In "Matins (#4)," Glück references the birch tree again as she contemplates God, remarking, "I might as well go on / addressing the birches, / as in my former life" (13). In this instance she is using the birch tree as a symbol of her former spiritual affinity for nature over Christian religious belief.

Spring flowering - "The Wild Iris," "Trilium," "Snowdrops," etc.

The blooming of flowers in poems like "The...