Ode to Autumn by John Keats | Ode to Autumn | To Autumn | John Keats | Summary | Key Points | Word Meaning | Questions Answers | Critical Appreciation | Free PDF Download – Easy Literary Lessons
Ode 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.
Ode to Autumn by John Keats: YouTube Link
Ode to Autumn Analysis
Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Explanation
This line paints a vivid picture of autumn, using descriptive language and poetic devices.
Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness: This phrase introduces the season as one with gentle fog (“mists”) and abundant harvest (“mellow fruitfulness”). These words create a sensory experience for the reader, allowing them to almost feel the coolness of the mist and the richness of the harvest.
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun: This imagery personifies autumn as a “bosom-friend” of the “maturing sun”. This suggests a close relationship between the two, where they work together to bring about the season’s bounty.
Poetic devices
Personification: Both autumn and the sun are personified by giving them human qualities like friendship and maturity. This adds a layer of complexity and emotional depth to the scene.
Alliteration: The repetition of the “m” sound in “mists” and “mellow” creates a sense of musicality and emphasizes the calmness of the season.
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
Explanation
This line builds upon the image of collaboration between autumn and the sun established in previous line. It further emphasizes their role in bringing forth the season’s harvest.
Conspiring with him how to load and bless: This phrase uses the word “conspiring,” which typically implies secrecy but here suggests a coordinated effort towards a good cause. Autumn and the sun are not plotting in the negative sense, but rather working together to “load” (fill) and “bless” (enrich) the vines with fruit.
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run: This line provides a visual image of vines overflowing with fruit, “running” around the “thatch-eves” of houses with thatched roofs. This image further emphasizes the abundance of the harvest.
Poetic Device
Personification: Both autumn and the sun are still implicitly personified, as they are depicted as actively “conspiring.”
Metaphor: The use of “conspiring” can be seen as a metaphor, implying a deliberate plan or strategy between them, even though these concepts are not human attributes.
Imagery: The line uses vivid imagery of “fruit” and “vines” to create a strong visual impression of the harvest’s abundance.
To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
Explanation
This line vividly describes the impact of the collaboration between autumn and the sun on the fruit harvest.
To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees: This phrase uses personification to describe the apple trees as being “bent” under the weight of their abundant fruit. The addition of “moss’d” adds a touch of age and rustic charm to the image.
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core: This part of the line emphasizes the thoroughness of the ripening process. The fruit is not only abundant but also perfectly ripe from the “core” outwards.
Poetic Device
Personification: The apple trees are personified as being able to “bend,” suggesting the tremendous weight of the apples.
Imagery: The line uses strong imagery of “apples,” “moss’d cottage-trees,” and “ripeness to the core” to create a picture of a rich and bountiful harvest.
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel;
Explanation
The gourds and hazel shells are also swelling and plumping, indicating the variety of fruits that are ripening. The “sweet kernel” inside the hazel shells indicates the reward that awaits after the hard shell is cracked.
Poetic Device
Imagery: The line uses strong imagery of “gourd,” “hazel shells,” and “sweet kernel” to create a sensory experience for the reader, allowing them to imagine the size, shape, and taste of the harvest.
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.
Explanation
Autumn is not just about harvesting, but also about sowing the seeds for the next cycle of growth. The bees are deceived into thinking that the warm days will never end because of the abundance of flowers. The phrase “summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells” suggests that the bees have more than enough honey stored in their hives due to the productivity of summer.
Poetic devices
Metaphor: “Summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells” is a metaphor comparing the abundance of summer nectar to overflowing containers. This emphasizes the immense amount of resources summer provided to the bees.
Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
Explanation
This line marks a shift in the poem. It moves from describing the characteristics of autumn to directly addressing the season itself.
Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?: This is a rhetorical question, meaning it doesn’t expect a literal answer. It addresses “thee”, referring to autumn, and questions who hasn’t witnessed its “store” (abundance of harvest).
Poetic devices
Rhetorical Question: The use of a rhetorical question is a common poetic device used to emphasize a point or encourage reflection rather than eliciting a response. Here, it emphasizes the universality of experiencing autumn’s bounty.
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Explanation
This line continues the shift in tone and directly describes encountering autumn.
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find: This phrase introduces the possibility of encountering “thee” (autumn) by “seeking abroad”. This suggests that autumn is not readily apparent everywhere but needs to be actively sought, potentially in nature.
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor: This imagery personifies autumn as a relaxed figure “sitting” on the “granary floor”. The “careless” attitude further emphasizes the season’s abundance and the lack of need for worry or effort.
Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind: This line adds details to the image, personifying autumn’s “hair” being gently lifted by the “winnowing wind”. This wind is used to separate chaff from grain after harvest, further connecting the image to the season.
Poetic devices
Personification: Autumn is again personified as a figure with “hair” that can be “lifted.”
Metaphor: The line can be seen as using a metaphor with the “winnowing wind” representing the passing of time or the transition between summer and autumn.
Imagery: The line uses vivid imagery of a granary floor, hair, and wind to create a peaceful and evocative scene.
Or on a half-reap’d furrow sound asleep,
Drows’d with the fume of poppies,
Explanation
This line offers an alternative image of encountering autumn. It paints a picture of the season as peaceful and restful.
Or on a half-reap’d furrow sound asleep: This phrase describes autumn as “sound asleep” on a “half-reap’d furrow” (a partially harvested field). This suggests a sense of tranquility and completion associated with the season.
Drows’d with the fume of poppies: This adds further detail, portraying autumn as “drows’d” (made sleepy) by the “fume” (smoke or vapor) of poppies. Poppies are known for their sedative properties, further emphasizing the sleepy and peaceful nature of the image.
Poetic devices
Personification: Autumn is again personified as a figure who can “sleep” and be “drows’d.”
Imagery: The line uses strong imagery of a furrow, sleep, and poppies to create a picture of peaceful slumber.
Metaphor: The “fume of poppies” can be seen as a metaphor for the tranquility and peacefulness associated with autumn.
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;
Explanation
while thy hook / Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers: This phrase describes “thy hook” (a tool used for harvesting) “sparing” the “next swath” (a section of something to be cut or harvested) and “all its twined flowers.” This suggests that even during harvest, autumn shows compassion and preserves some of nature’s beauty.
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep: This phrase introduces another comparison of “thou” (autumn) to a “gleaner”, someone who gathers leftover crops after a harvest. This suggests that autumn thoroughly gathers its bounty.
Steady thy laden head across a brook: This detail describes the “gleaner” carrying a “laden head” (a head full of harvested crops) and crossing a brook while keeping it “steady.” This portrays a sense of determination and resilience associated with autumn.
Poetic devices
Personification: Autumn is again personified, having a “hook” that can make choices.
Metaphor: The “hook” can be seen as a metaphor for the power of autumn to harvest.
Imagery: The line uses imagery of a hook, swath, and twined flowers to create a picture of selective harvesting.
Simile: Comparing autumn to a “gleaner” is a simile, highlighting their shared characteristics of being thorough and dedicated to gathering the harvest.
Or by a cyder-press, with patient look,
Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.
Explanation
This line offers a final image of encountering autumn, this time associated with patience and the completion of the harvest.
Or by a cyder-press, with patient look: This phrase describes “thou” (autumn) standing “by a cyder-press” (a machine used to press apple juice) with a “patient look.” This suggests that even as the harvest process nears its end, autumn remains observant and involved.
Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours: This detail portrays “thou” “watching” the “last oozings” of juice from the apples “hours by hours.” This emphasizes the slow and meticulous nature of the cider making process, requiring patience and attention to detail.
Poetic devices
Personification: Autumn is again personified, having a “look” and the ability to “watch.”
Where are the songs of spring? Ay, Where are they?
Explanation
This line marks a shift in the focus of the poem. It introduces a rhetorical question that contrasts the abundance of autumn with the absent “songs of spring.”
Where are the songs of spring?: This question asks where the characteristic sounds of spring (presumably birds singing, blooming flowers, etc.) have gone. It highlights the passage of time and the absence of spring’s vibrant life.
Ay, Where are they?: The repetition of the question and the word “Ay” (an exclamation used to express surprise or confirmation) emphasize the speaker’s recognition and acceptance of spring’s departure.
Poetic devices
Rhetorical Question: The use of a rhetorical question is a common poetic device used to emphasize a point or encourage reflection rather than eliciting a literal answer. Here, it highlights the contrast between the abundance of autumn and the absence of spring.
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—
Explanation
This line directly addresses “thou” (autumn) and encourages it to not dwell on the absence of spring. It suggests that autumn has its own unique beauty and “music.”
Think not of them: This phrase directly tells autumn to not think about the “songs of spring” mentioned in the previous line. This implies that dwelling on their absence might lead to a sense of loss or longing.
thou hast thy music too,—: This part of the line uses a dash to create a pause before introducing the idea of autumn’s own “music.” This emphasizes the presence and value of what autumn possesses.
Poetic devices
Apostrophe: The line directly addresses autumn as “thou”, using apostrophe as a poetic device.
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;
Explanation
These lines paint a vivid picture of the ending of the day in autumn using descriptive language and figurative devices.
“While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,”: This line describes the sunset through vivid imagery. The “barred clouds” suggest streaks or bands of clouds across the sky, and they are personified as “blooming”, creating a sense of beauty and transformation as the day comes to an end. The “soft-dying day” emphasizes the gentle transition from day to night.
“And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue,”: This line continues the description of the sunset, focusing on its impact on the landscape. The “stubble-plains” refer to fields with short stalks left after harvest. The “rosy hue” refers to the pink or red color of the sunset sky, which “touches” the fields.
“Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn”: This line introduces a new element – the sound associated with the evening. The “small gnats” are described as forming a “wailful choir” and “mourning.” This creates a sense of melancholy and potentially foreshadows the changing seasons and the approach of winter.
“Among the river sallows, borne aloft / Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;”: This line provides further details about the gnats and their movements. The “river sallows” are willow trees growing near the river, and the gnats are described as being “borne aloft” (carried upwards) or “sinking” depending on whether the “light wind lives or dies.” This creates a dynamic and interconnected image of the gnats, the wind, and the fading light.
Poetic devices
Personification: Clouds are personified as “blooming,” giving them human-like qualities.
Metaphor: “Wailful choir” is a metaphor, comparing the sound of the gnats to the singing of a mournful choir.
Imagery: The line uses imagery of “river sallows,” “borne aloft,” “sinking,” “light wind,” and “lives or dies” to create a detailed picture of the gnats’ movement and their connection to the environment.
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
Explanation
“And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;” uses descriptive language and a figurative device to create a scene of autumn.
Full-grown lambs: This describes the maturity of the lambs, contrasting them with the young and playful lambs typically associated with spring. This subtle detail reinforces the passage of time and the progression of the season.
Loud bleat: The sound of the lambs is described as “loud”, suggesting their energy and presence in the landscape.
Hilly bourn: This refers to a “bourn” (a stream or spring) located on a “hilly” area. This creates a specific image of the lambs’ location, adding detail and depth to the scene.
Poetic devices
Alliteration: The repetition of the “l” sound in “full-grown lambs loud bleat” creates alliteration, a pleasing sound effect that emphasizes the line.
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;
Explanation
This line offers a continuation of describing the sounds of the evening in autumn, introducing two different creatures and their vocalizations.
Hedge-crickets sing: This describes the sound made by “hedge-crickets”, insects known for their chirping. Their presence further emphasizes the changing season, as they are more commonly associated with the summer months.
And now with treble soft: This phrase introduces the “red-breast” (robin) and its “treble soft” whistle. The “treble” refers to the high-pitched quality of the sound, and the “soft” descriptor emphasizes its gentleness and calmness compared to the “loud bleat” of the lambs in the previous line.
The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft: This specifies the location of the robin, describing it as “whistling” from a “garden-croft” (a small enclosed field or garden).
Poetic devices
Imagery: The line uses strong imagery of “hedge-crickets,” “treble soft,” “red-breast,” and “garden-croft” to create a visual and auditory picture of the evening scene.
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.
Explanation
This line completes the description of the sounds of the autumn evening by focusing on the swallows and their vocalizations.
Gathering swallows: This phrase describes the swallows as being in the process of “gathering”, suggesting they are preparing to migrate south for the winter. This detail reinforces the seasonal context and hints at the approaching change of environment.
Twitter: This word describes the sound made by the swallows, which is a high-pitched, chirping sound.
Poetic devices
Imagery: The line uses imagery of “gathering swallows” and “twitter” to create a visual and auditory picture of the swallows in the sky.
