"The Spring and the Fall” is a lyric poem and Line 1 establishes its tone: "In the spring of the year, in the spring of the year” is nostalgic and melodious. The speaker is in a reflective mood as she recalls the springtime. Her voice has a songlike quality as all the words in Line 1 are monosyllabic words. The repetition also contributes to her rhythmic voice.

"I walked the road beside my dear,” the speaker says in Line 2. The line is in the past tense, which bolsters the nostalgic feeling of the poem. Indeed, the poem's action is in the past tense. There's distance between her and the relationship with her "dear.” She's pensively looking back on their romance.

In Line 3, the speaker provides an image: "The trees were black where the bark was yet.” The image is a literary device that helps the reader see what the speaker sees. Using simple, concise language, Millay helps the reader envision the couple on the road and the black, wet trees. In Line 4, the speaker reaffirms what she saw: "I see them yet, in the spring of the year.