The Passing of the Seasons: Winter into Spring

In "The Passing of the Seasons: Winter into Spring," an allegory of the changing seasons is transformed by Bishop's treatment into an uncompromising depiction of childbirth. There is a sharp contrast between the listless reclining woman who represents Winter and the defiantly upright boy who represents Spring. Winter is not old, as one might expect, but exhausted with barely enough energy to prop herself up. The agony of labor and childbirth is abundantly clear. The child, having absorbed the spirit from his mother's body, turns away from her.