It is about five o’clock in an evening that the first hour of spring strikes — autumn arrives in the early morning, but spring at the close of a winter day.

Bowen frames the seasons not as dates on a calendar but as felt shifts in light and mood. Spring’s “first hour” striking at about five o’clock suggests the moment, late in a winter afternoon, when daylight lingers and the air softens—an experiential turning point rather than an official one. By contrast, autumn “arrives in the early morning,” when the first chill and dimness are often most noticeable. The contrast implies that spring is sensed as an extension and release at day’s end, while autumn is sensed as a contraction at daybreak. The image also echoes Bowen’s interest in time’s subtle thresholds: change announces itself quietly, through atmosphere and perception.