To Autumn

• Context:

  • John Keats - Romantic poet
  • He wrote letters and one of his letters inspired him, after a walk across fields, to write this poem in 1819.
  • The poem is an ode (Addressed to a specific subject) -a ten line poem, however he uses 11 lines to mirror the abundance of nature. - structure - follows three stages of day and seasons
  • He was surrounded by death whilst growing up, as his siblings dies young. This can be seen in the last stanza
• "Season of the mists and mellow fruitfulness"

  • Personifying autumn as a friend of the sun
  • Sets the tone creating an atmosphere that is warm
  • The use of alliteration emphasises the peacefulness of the season
• "Load" "Bend" "Fill" "Swell" "Plump"

  • Verbs to create a rich image of abundance
  • Branches are heaving under the weight of fruit - ready to be harvested
  • Produce is overflowing - never ending growth
• "Or by a cyder press, with patient look, Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours"

  • Stanza 2 - now mid afternoon - autumn done its job - grown the food - now the workers must harvest the food
  • Describes how workers rest during the tough work of harvesting by hand - slow natural process of pressing apples
  • Image of sweet contentment
  • Scene is one of natural beauty
• "Soft dying day" "gnats mourn"

  • Last stanza sees change of tone - sun sets - day turns to dusk
  • Autumn is "dying" as turns to winter
  • Mournful sounds of gnats signals a sense of loss as the season comes to and end
  • the "red breast" robin is a symbol of winter
• "And gathering swallows twitter in the skies"

  • Final image is one of birds preparing to migrate to warmer climates as winter sweeps in
  • A sense of inevitability and loss is symbolised as the atmosphere of warmth and beauty changes to empty skies and colder weather
  • Hint of death could also link to Keats thoughts on death himself