When Icicles Hang: William Shakespeare

When icicles hang by the wall,

And Dick the shepherd blows his nail,

And Tom bears logs into the hall,

And milk comes frozen home in pail,

When blood is nipp'd, and ways be foul,

Then nightly sings the staring owl:-

To-whit ! To-who !

A merry note,

While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

Summary: In this poem, ‘When Icicles Hang,’ the poet William Shakespeare criticizes the winter season. When winter comes it brings several influences. The walls are covered with ice. Dick, the shepherd breathes his fingernails to warm them. Tom carries wood to the fireplace. Milk freezes as soon as it is poured into the pail. The blood of living creatures comes to freeze. The roads are covered by the snow and become muddy. The staring owl sings a happy song at night while Joan, the cook prepares steaming soup to keep the family members warm.