There are other links between the verses, such as ’spit the pips’ in verse 2, presumably into ‘the palms of one’s hands’ in verse 3. Verse 3 brings the senses together again in the penultimate line.The poem is deeper than its simple form and subject matter would suggest.

The poem conjures up a vivid image for me. It was written in January 1935 and I see MacNeice sat in comfortable armchair in a living room of a large house with a snow bound garden outside. Its very cold and he is sat close to the open fire.The large windows flood the room with snow reflected daylight. There are out of season pink roses on the window cill. He is peeling a tangerine, which evokes English winters where tangerines are still a favourite seasonal fruit, often put in children’s Christmas stockings. But the ‘palms of one’s hands’ evokes Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. The poem’s central message is the mystery of life, triggered by sudden cold snow, out of season roses, a roaring fire and sharp fruit. In the midst of comfortable banality is the experience of mystery. Whatever the answer is, its more complicated than we can understand in material things such as roses, glass and snow.