Subscribe: by Email | in Reader

To Autumn -- John Keats

Guest poem submitted by Bill Whiteford
(Poem #1781) To Autumn
 Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
 Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
 Conspiring with him how to load and bless
 With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
 To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
 And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
 To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
 With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
 And still more, later flowers for the bees,
 Until they think warm days will never cease,
 For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.

 Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
 Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
 Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
 Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
 Or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep,
 Drows'd with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
 Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:
 And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
 Steady thy laden head across a brook;
 Or by a cyder-press, with patient look,
 Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.

 Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
 Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,--
 While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
 And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
 Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
 Among the river sallows, borne aloft
 Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
 And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
 Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
 The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;
 And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.
-- John Keats
I'm not a great fan of the romantic poets, but was struck that colleagues
didn't know where the phrase "season of mists and mellow fruitfulness" came
from . I think quite a lot of Keats is not great, but some of the images
here are memorable. Here in Scotland the twittering swallows are long gone,
but the barred clouds sometimes bloom the soft-dying day. There's lots of
other analysis you could do here (the erotic language of the second verse,
the sense of impending loss of the third), but mainly I would just enjoy the
turn of phrase and the images.

Bill Whiteford.

41 comments: ( or Leave a comment )

Nigel Rose said...

When I was 12, as a punishment for not reminding our English teacher to give us homework (what school child would?), we were forced to learn the first verse of this poem including all of the punctuation. We were tested on this at the next lesson and any child who got more than a couple of things wrong got a detention. Despite learning it I have never actually properly read or tried to understand it until now.

His evocation of Autumn, the warmth, the ripeness, the fecundity, the colours and the sense of something overblown and beginning to rot reminds so strongly of roaming the English countryside as the leaves are beginning to change colour and the weather veers wildly. Particularly I love the change of mood at the end as we are reminded that winter comes and with it darker times and change and an urging to flee until Spring.

Nigel Rose

Viagra Online said...

Excellent post, Where are the songs of Spring? that's the question. I just was impressed with the content behind the poem, the evocation isn't bad enough.

Buy penis enlargement pills said...

A very nice poem on Autumn. It is really touching and feels good to read it.

Natural hair regrowth product said...

I think quite a lot of Keats is not great, but some of the images
here are memorable

Vimax increase semen volume pills said...

This is certainly a nice poem. I am glad to wonder that you write a good quality poem. Keep it up.

GenFX dietary anti aging supplement said...

After a long time heard such an wonderful poem.This was incredible one.The quality was too superb.

Proextender penis extender device review said...

I am completely satisfied to read the whole post.

Sizegenetics safe penis extender said...

This is really great to be here... Keep posting such an awesome blog post here..

Best Infant Car Seats Reviews said...

Your poem here is very romantic man. I think im gonna impress my girl today by reciting this wonderful poem.

Trichozed said...

This is incredible presented.It is the best way of explaining.No matter it is well described.

AKU SAYANG IBU said...

Tempat JUAL BELI BERLIAN. Kami menyediakan bergagai informasi tentang Cara Membedakan Berlian Asli, Harga Berlian Murah, Barang Mewah , Berita Emas , Tips Jual Beli Berlian , Toko Jual Berlian , Batu Permata , Jenis Berlian dan Beberapa informasi mengenai tempat untuk jual Beli Berlian.
Terima kasih dan selamat berkunjung di web kami

Anum Fatima said...

thats great... You can now easily send beautiful gifts to your dear once
Send Gifts to Pakistan

Unknown said...

Kutil pada alat kelamin luar bisa diangkat melalui laser, krioterapi (pembekuan) atau pembedahan dengan bius lokal. Pengobatan kimiawi, seperti podofilum resin atau racun yang dimurnikan atau asam trikloroasetat, bisa dioleskan langsung pada kutil. Tetapi pengobatan ini memerlukan waktu beberapa minggu sampai beberapa bulan, bisa melukai kulit di sekelilingnya dan sering gatal.

Anonymous said...

Well said about the topic and its really a interesting post

Cheap essay writing service

Geral said...

Thanks for information...
VIMAX

Gifts In Pakistan said...

amazing as always bro
this one actually was super heart touching

Gifts in Pakistan

Post a Comment