The word “May” occurs three times in the poem, twice in the first stanza. In Line 1, the speaker announces, “I shall not sing a May song” (Line 1), implying that May songs are common enough to be expected in the northern hemisphere, May marks springtime, which has long been a symbol of rebirth and new beginnings, symbolized by the return of sunshine and new growth. It is a festive time, and in the western canon, springtime is also associated with the Christian holidays Easter and Pentacost, which signal the return of a joyous period after the difficult days of winter. The speaker explicitly addresses this symbolic tradition, where she says, “A May song should be gay” (Line 2), reinforcing the expectation that a May song should be upbeat because springtime is a welcomed period of the year. As such, her refusal to participate in a traditional celebration of springtime alerts the reader to a rejection of the norm in a way that goes against the collective expectation of the moment.

In the poem, November symbolizes gloom and a time of the year not regularly welcomed by a majority of people in the northern hemisphere. The month links to the onset of winter and the disappearance of light, warmth, and bountiful nature.