November
Much have I spoken of the faded leaf;
Long have I listened to the wailing wind,
And watched it ploughing through the heavy clouds,
For autumn charms my melancholy mind.
When autumn comes, the poets sing a dirge:
The year must perish; all the flowers are dead;
The sheaves are gathered; and the mottled quail
Runs in the stubble, but the lark has fled!
Still, autumn ushers in the Christmas cheer,
The holly-berries and the ivy-tree:
They weave a chaplet for the Old Year’s bier,
These waiting mourners do not sing for me!
I find sweet peace in depths of autumn woods,
Where grow the ragged ferns and roughened moss;
The naked, silent trees have taught me this,—
The loss of beauty is not always loss!
Posts
Oh I like this poem. And well done you in finding it!
ReplyDeleteI was going to try to spend 2019 gaining a better appreciation of poetry. That didn't go well, but I did find a few seasonal poems I like :)
DeleteI'd rather have green leaves, flowers, and hazy, hot, and humid weather. Not looking forward to Winter snows.
ReplyDeleteI'm a fan of changing seasons. I love having 4 separate seasons, and I love it when we actually get them. Some years we skip fall and go straight from hot to freezing lol
DeleteSuch an amazing poem! I loved reading it, the words are so powerful conjuring a sense of loss but also hope - beautiful 😀. Thanks for sharing and I hope that you've had a wonderful week! Happy Friday and Weekend! Hugs, Jo x
ReplyDeleteI love how this poem develops :)
DeleteWonderful poem and a new one for me. I like fall when the light changes and things seem to draw in on themselves. Not so thrilled by a wet cold winter to follow.
ReplyDeleteWe never get really cold weather here in Memphis. I mean, it feels cold to _us_ lol, but snow is a rarity here.
DeleteI love this-and I am with you we love all 4 seasons too we retired from northern Illinois to sw Missouri for usually milder winters but all 4 seasons-loved the poem and photo
ReplyDeleteYour part of the country is colder than we get here, but the seasons are nice, aren't they!
Deleteyes we love them-one year we had a severe ice storm we had no power for 19 days but we were heating only with firewood at the time and I can cook over a fire, and my old restaurant stove was gas with no electric-we were camping out haha but usually the winters are not as severe as we are used to in chicago area. we are an hour north of the woods house so am interested if there is much a difference in the winters here
DeleteGas has saved us in the face of power outages before, but our townhouse is all-electric. I remember the last year it snowed on Halloween, must've been 20 years ago. Some years we don't get more than a flurry and dusting of snow all winter, and we tend to get ice more than snow. You can't play in the ice :( It may get colder for you on a lake than it did in the woods. I know this urban area doesn't get as cold as the suburbs.
DeleteThis poem really speaks to our autumn season. The biggest problem with November for us northerners is we have to spend time getting ready for winter, which always surprises us when it arrives. Last year it came in November and lasted until April. That is too long. But if I put that aside, there is something quiet about this month that I really like. Thanks for sharing the poem. Hugs-Erika
ReplyDeleteOur winters down here tend to be short and mild, so the ice when it does come is always a shock. I agree that November seems quiet. Peaceful somehow.
DeleteBeautiful piece. Just came home from my walk, scrunching through the leaves along the river, so therapeutic! Valerie
ReplyDeleteCrisp, bracing sweater weather :)
DeleteAt first I was thinking--no! no!--because it was such a dire and dour greeting of my favorite time of year. But then it turned around with appreciation. Ahh! Lovely. :)
ReplyDeleteNot much appreciation of November for itself, that's true, and I do like November... the Thanksgiving season and the beginnings of a cozier time of year :)
DeleteNot just a gorgeous poem, but a lovely image to represent it, too.
ReplyDeleteI love finding those online images that allow sharing without attribution :)
DeleteReally beautiful! I love this!
ReplyDeleteIt has a hopeful tone :)
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