Point of View

Pearson writes in the second-person perspective in his poem “Wintering.” The speaker directly addresses readers in a firm yet gentle tone, drawing a connection between natural and personal winters. The use of second person creates a sense of immediacy, intimacy, and dialogue. It also portrays wintering as a universal experience. After evoking a winter forest landscape, the speaker addresses readers in the third stanza. This allows readers to contextualize their own experiences through the lens of natural seasons, thereby understanding that vicissitudes are an inherent and unavoidable part of life. Whether an illness, divorce, or loss of a loved one or job spurs the onset of a personal winter, the process of wintering can be handled with grace. The speaker looks to nature for guidance on how to undergo wintering without shame. For instance, the trees “let go of / exactly what everyone says / is most...