Spring and Summer in England

[thedaffodils]

Hi! Is Spring not the best season in England? This question comes to my mind whenever I read Sonnet 18 by Shakespeare and an English idiom as below.

1. The first two verses from Sharepeare's Sonnet 18.

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

2. The idiom - one swallow cannot make a summer.

But why does Percy Bysshe Shelley, the famous English poet say, "If winter comes, can spring be far behind"?

Thanks!

[jlinger]

While spring ends the winter, it brings rain, while summer brings the sun.

One season follows another inevitably. So, the optimist would look at winter and see that spring is coming.

[Anglika]

Originally Posted by thedaffodils

Hi! Is Spring not the best season in England? This question comes to my mind whenever I read Sonnet 18 by Shakespeare and an English idiom as below.

1. The first two verses from Sharepeare's Sonnet 18.

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Spring can be very cold.

2. The idiom - one swallow cannot make a summer. One swallow does not make a summer - the arrival of the swallows in late spring is a sign that the air is warmer and therefore summer is around the corner. However, there is always an early swallow who has misjudged its time of arrival, so seeing one swallow is not an indicator of summer having come.

But why does Percy Bysshe Shelley, the famous English poet say, "If winter comes, can spring be far behind"?

Thanks!

All seasons can be bad and good in Britain. Each has its beauties and its nastiness. None in itself is better or worse than any other.

[thedaffodils]

Jlinger and Anglika,

Thank you for your replies.

Spring is the most beautiful season in most Chinese minds, especially in the works of Chinese poets and writers. It is said in Chinese that swallow comes back in the spring in China.