Final answer:
The poem 'A Hillside Thaw' discusses the speaker's reaction to beauty and the concept of emotional numbness. It also explores the destructive power of poverty on love.
Step-by-step explanation:
The poem 'A Hillside Thaw' muses on the speaker's reaction to beautiful things in the past and how they have been met with coldness.
The speaker reflects on resisting obvious beauty like sunsets and mountains, indicating a sense of detachment or indifference.
The poem explores the theme of emotional numbness and the speaker's realization that even love can be destroyed by external forces like poverty.