Autumn is an incredibly common topic in poetry. It is often used as a symbol of change and transformation. Events that take place in autumn have special importance in many poems, signifying a major shift.
As the season wedged between the polar opposites of summer and winter, autumn, or fall, is a time when the life that flourished in summer is dying and the winter beauty is just beginning. Many autumn poems mourn the loss of summer and contrast the warmer season with fall colors. Others present autumn as a much-needed respite from the heat of summer.
‘Autumn Song’ by Paul Verlaine is a poignant poem that impresses upon the reader a potent sense of seasonal depression.
The season of autumn is one of the central topics of Verlaine's poem. One composed to elucidate and illustrate with mournful clarity its effects on the speaker and by extension the author. Not everyone might agree with the hopelessness that gushes from the poem but it does reveal the somberness inherent to fall.
‘First Fall’ by Smith captures a mother showing her child autumn’s beauty, weaving themes of change, life, and the desire for happiness.
Autumn is the central backdrop of ‘First Fall,’ serving as a powerful metaphor for change and the passage of time. Maggie Smith skillfully captures the essence of the season, using it to frame the mother’s introduction of the world to her child. The imagery of leaves, trees, and the crisp air effectively evokes the sense of transition that defines autumn, making it one of the poem’s most important elements.
‘Gathering Leaves’ is a profound poem that delves into the themes of man versus nature, productivity, and change.
The season during which the leaves fall and die is significant for Frost, as it has many symbolic meanings. Above all, it embodies the changeability of nature and highlights the seemingly paradoxical fact that nature can change before out eyes while remaining the same.
‘October’ by Linda Pastan captures autumn’s fleeting beauty, symbolizing change, time’s passage, and our deep connection to nature.
The poem explores the beauty and depth of the autumn season. By focusing on its transitions, it mirrors human experiences of change and growth. The descriptions of falling leaves and shifting landscapes evoke nostalgia and reflection, offering readers an intimate connection to nature's cycles and life's fleeting moments.
‘To Autumn’ by William Blake is a simple, evocative poem about the joys, colors, and emotions of the autumn season.
This poem is all about autumn, showing it as a time of richness and beauty. Blake describes the season in a way that makes it feel full of energy and life rather than an ending. The air is fresh, the fruits are ripe, and everything feels complete. The poem makes autumn feel like something to be appreciated rather than something to be feared before winter comes.
Sara Teasdale’s ‘Autumn’ is a poignant meditation on the passage of time. During a walk in Paris’s Parc Monceau, the speaker observes how monuments of human ambitions deteriorate with time.
As one would assume from its title, 'Autumn' is the perfect encapsulation of the autumn season. Teasdale explores the season's associations with loss, decay and fading beauty. Her descriptions of a Paris park in autumn express the speaker's feelings of despondency.
Sara Teasdale’s ‘Late October’ is a lyrical meditation on autumn. The speaker’s descriptions of fall’s seasonal changes express her mixed feelings of melancholy and hope.
'Late October' is all about autumn's seasonal changes. The speaker describes the soft, ghostly sounds of autumn rainfall, which seem to express her own feelings of melancholy. She concludes that she would rather stay in Bois de Boulogne and hear what autumn "has to say."
‘The Heat of Autumn’ attempts to illustrate the exquisite bittersweetness that distinguishes the warmth of fall from summer.
Hirshfield's speaker values autumn on a personal and emotional level. Like so many others, they associate this period with change, yet their emphasis on the "heat of autumn" and not its cold weather is also telling. To them, the fall isn't just a time in which life withers and fades away; it is a period of transition, one that urges us to take comfort in ends as much as beginnings.
Donne’s ‘The Autumnal’ is a fresh take on beauty, celebrating age over youthful charm. It is a bold statement challenging traditional views.
This poem compares the mature stage of life to the autumn season, emphasizing its qualities in contrast to the temporary nature of youth. Donne uses Autumn as a metaphor to symbolize the graceful, refined stage of life, celebrating the value that come with age. The poem contrasts the warmth and comfort of autumn with the societal perception of aging as decline. It highlights the fact that the later stages of life can be equally, if not more, fulfilling than the earlier ones.
In Sara Teasdale’s ‘Arcturus in Autumn,’ the speaker navigates her feelings around mortality as she observes the spring star, Arcturus. The star’s setting in autumn mirror’s the speaker’s aging and eventual death.
This poem, as the title would suggest, is themed around the autumn season. The speaker uses autumn as a way to explore her feelings about aging and dying. She describes the "autumn" of her life, reflecting on how the spring and summer, or youthful period, has passed.
When, in the gold October dusk, I saw you near to setting,
Arcturus, bringer of spring,
Lord of the summer nights, leaving us now in autumn,
Stephen Spender’s ‘Hampstead Autumn’ shows the warmth of his childhood. Inspired by autumnal changes, he reflects on his past.
This poem, as the title would suggest, is all about autumn and the warm, nostalgic mood it evokes in the speaker. It also represents his transition from childhood into a more difficult, but still hopeful adulthood.
‘Tears, Idle Tears’ is an emotional exploration of time, life, and death, told through the eyes of a court maiden and filled with vivid imagery.
The theme of autumn is predominant in the poem and it is a symbol of time and change, life and death. The “happy Autumn-fields” capture the joyful and the sorrowful aspects of the season which is typical for memories and the process of accepting the change and loss.
‘To Autumn’ stands as one of Keats’ most image-rich and skillful odes, offering a sumptuous description of the fall season.
This poem is entirely about the season of autumn. Keats gives it a voice, a face, and a presence that feels close and real. He writes about the fruit, the fields, the animals, and the weather, showing autumn as full of life and stillness at the same time. Instead of being just a backdrop, autumn becomes the center of the poem. The calm and fullness of the season are what carry the poem from start to end.
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;
‘Autumn moonlight’ by Matsuo Bashō is a traditional haiku that’s beautiful written about the seasons. This translation was done by Robert Hass.
Autumn is a central image in 'Autumn moonlight' and in Matsuo Bashō's poetry in general. The changing seasons play a significant role in his works, emphasizing the beauty and transience of life. The fact that the worm and chestnut are placed in a fall setting suggests the changing seasons and the progression of life to death.
‘November Blue’ by Alice Meynell draws attention to the weather in November and what people do to make up for it.
The season of November is autumn, and this is the major topic of Alice Meynell's ‘November Blue’. The weather in November is talked about, and solutions come up to make London, which takes on a dreary look at that time of the year, colorful. The weather in November is usually windy and rainy; this is described clearly by the speaker. It is a good poem about autumn.
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