The narrator begins the poem by comparing war to the season of “Winter”, mentioning how the world has descended into “darkness”. They compare the violence and chaos in the world to a “foul tornado”, destroying all civilization that stands in its way. The poet suggest that the world has been devoid of all “thought and feeling”, comparing it to a “famine” of emotion.
The scene then shifts to Ancient Greece, which the poet highlights as representing the “glory” days of civilization. As the seasons change, they hold deep meaning and relevance to the growth of the world, and yet, with the war, all this has stopped. There is no longer a “rich” culture of thought and the “grand age” including the best moments in time has come to an end. The speaker questions whether the end of the war will bring a “new Spring” or whether the world will be left in “blood”.
