To Autumn (John Keats)

To Autumn is a poem by John Keats celebrating the beauty and bounty of the autumn season. The poem describes the sights, sounds, and sensations of autumn, focusing on its richness and ripeness. Through vivid imagery and lyrical language, Keats captures the essence of autumn as a time of abundance and fulfilment. You can read the poem below and find analysis further down the page.

To Autumn  by John Keats

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-eaves run;

To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,

And ­ ll 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’erbrimm’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 twinèd ‑ flowers;

And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep

Steady thy laden head across a brook;

Or by a cider-press, with patient look,

Thou watchest the last oozings, hours by hours.

Where are the songs of Spring? Aye, where are they?

Think not of them, — thou hast thy music too,

While barrèd 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 redbreast whistles from a garden-croft;

And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

Analysis:

Title Significance:

The title, "To Autumn," indicates that the poem is an ode to the season of autumn, celebrating its splendour and significance.

Setting:

The poem is set in the countryside during the autumn season, as indicated by references to ripened fruit, harvest, and the changing natural landscape.

Imagery and Sensory Language:

Keats employs rich sensory imagery to depict the sights, sounds, and sensations of autumn, such as "mists and mellow fruitfulness," "maturing sun," and "gathering swallows." The imagery creates a vivid picture of autumn's abundance and beauty, appealing to the senses and enhancing the reader's appreciation of the season.

Structure:

The poem consists of three stanzas, each focusing on a different aspect of autumn: the ripening of fruit, the harvesting of crops, and the gathering of swallows. The structure mirrors the progression of autumn, from the early stages of ripeness to the culmination of harvest and migration.

Tone and Mood:

The tone is celebratory and reverent, with a sense of awe and admiration for the beauty and abundance of autumn. The mood is serene and contemplative, inviting the reader to reflect on the richness and vitality of the season.

Themes:

Beauty of Nature: Keats celebrates the natural beauty of autumn, portraying it as a season of abundance and ripeness.

Transience of Life: The poem reflects on the cycle of life and the inevitability of change, as seen in the ripening and harvesting of crops.

Time and Seasons: Keats explores the passage of time and the cyclical nature of the seasons, emphasising the transient beauty of autumn.

Symbolism:

The ripened fruit symbolises the abundance and fulfilment of autumn, as well as the cycle of life and death. The gathering swallows symbolise the changing seasons and the natural rhythms of migration.

Language and Diction:

Keats's language is lush and musical, with an emphasis on sensory imagery and descriptive detail. The use of personification, such as "maturing sun" and "conspiring with him," adds depth and vitality to the imagery.

Conclusion:

To Autumn by John Keats is a timeless ode to the beauty and bounty of the autumn season. Through vivid imagery and lyrical language, Keats captures the essence of autumn as a time of abundance, fulfilment, and natural splendour.

You can find analysis of all the Edexcel Time and Place Poetry Anthology Poems here.