in their preparation for burying themselves, and
the speaker’s airing of quilts is presented as vir-
tually parallel to what frogs and snails do. In the
third stanza, bears and chipmunks are parallel, in
that they prepare their food storage; bears by
gaining weight, and chipmunks by stockpiling
nuts. The activity of the speaker is practically
parallel, in that she stockpiles books, which pro-
vide the sustenance she needs for the winter of
increased hours inactive and indoors. In both the
first and third stanzas, the animal activities are
equated with the human activity. The first stanza
is a literal equation: burrowing to stay warm. The
third stanza is a metaphorical equation: the ani-
mals feed on stored calories; the human is sus-
tained by literature. The second stanza does not
use parallelism. By contrast, there is a series or
progression here: dogs get thicker coats (outside);
mothers cook oatmeal (inside); and children take
castor oil (a cathartic or purgative). This center
stanza marks a progression, whereas the first and
third stanzas present equivalents.Historical Context
A Decade of Turbulence
The late 1960s was a period marked by protest:
protests against the Vietnam War, protests for
equal rights for African Americans, and pro-
tests demanding equal treatment for women.Frost on a window(Image copyright stocknadia, 2009. Used under license from Shutterstock.com)
Winter