The narrator of the poem resides in a house with a garden, having recently endured a long and dreary winter. The sudden arrival of beautiful spring weather triggers an intense emotional reaction that borders on aggressive enthusiasm. Unable to contain this joy, they daydream about violently liberating confined objects in their home to ensure nothing suffers through the cold again. They ultimately recognize these destructive thoughts are purely hypothetical responses to the seasonal shift.

A songbird kept inside a cage within the domestic setting of the poem. The bird acts as a physical manifestation of the speaker's own feelings of being trapped indoors during the harsh winter months. In a fit of ecstatic imagination, the speaker envisions tearing the door off this bird's enclosure so it can experience the fresh spring air without the threat of future captivity.

Two tiny figures residing inside a glass paperweight that depicts a perpetual winter scene. They know nothing but their frozen environment and snow-covered cottage. The speaker fantasizes about using a hammer to smash their glass dome, allowing the pair to step out, hold hands, and squint into the bright reality of a warm spring afternoon.