Ode to Autumn

"To Autumn" is regarded as Keats's best poem, written with graphic clarity just before his death.

He personifies the season, dressed in its rich autumn colours and alive with life and mellow vibrancy. Everything is maturing now.

The fruits on the trees are at their sweetest, the wine is oozing with heady tranquillity. Everywhere the birds and the insects are enriching the countryside with their melody.

John Keats was born in London in 1795, the son of a hostler. Both his parents died while he was still young -- his mother of tuberculosis. He was thereafter brought up by his grandmother who quickly made him an apprentice physician.

He was still only in his late teens when he discovered that he too had caught TB and his younger brother who was in his care soon died of it. In order to escape the disease, Keats moved to the sunnier and drier climate of Italy.

There was no escape for him, however, and the poet died in 1821. He was then just 25 years of age. He nevertheless bequeathed us a gargantuan amount of poetry written with an amazing maturity for one so young.

Keats wrote this Ode one autumn evening in 1819. It has been said that he could not focus on his writing because somebody nearby was disturbing his thoughts by practising on the violin. The poet went out for a walk and, inspired by the autumn atmosphere, returned to write this poem.

Read the left column and then answer
the following questions:


"SEASON of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun."

• In what way can the sun be referred to as the "maturing sun"? (5)

[Need help?]

The term "maturing" can be viewed from at least two different angles. First, it may be seen as a present participle being used as an adjective to describe the sun. The sun itself is "maturing", i.e. getting older and wiser. The seasons of the sun are being compared to the passing of life: just as a person goes through the springtime of life, then into summer, autumn and finally winter, so is the sun now entering its autumn. The autumn of a person's life is that period when he or she should have reached the pinnacle of wisdom and maturity. So the sun in its autumn is also mature. On the other hand, "maturing" could be viewed as a present particle being used as a verb: the sun's warmth is maturing the fruit and vegetables.

• Explain how the poet's use of imagery enhances the emotive value of these lines. (4)

[Need help?]

The poet dwells upon maturity, mellowness and deep intimacy. A bosom-friend is a very close friend -- literally one who is intimately connected with a woman's bosom or breasts. So the relationship between Autumn and the Sun is a very close, intimate one. Mistiness conjures up visions of magic and rich spells. At the same time, the season is mellow, carefree and dreamy. Everything is maturing, everything is sweet. Everything is magical. Can you think of other things to say?

---

"Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run."

• What image does the word "conspiring" evoke? (4)

[Need help?]

"Conspiring" means planning with someone in secret. One therefore has the image of the goddess Autumn planning secretly with the Sun-god to bring about the miracle of life: a bumper harvest that is abundant and sweet.

• Who is conspiring with whom? What they are conspiring to do? (4)

[Need help?]

This has really been answered in the previous question: the goddess Autumn is conspiring with the Sun- god to bring about the miracle of life: a bumper harvest that is abundant and sweet. The poet is portraying this image in the age-old tradition of the god and goddess, a married duo: the Sun is the god and Autumn is the goddess, his wife. They form a couple, and their offspring is the plump and sweet fruit of the harvest.

• What image is evoked with the words "load and bless"? (4)

[Need help?]

To "bless" something is to bestow the power of goodness on it. In this case, Autumn and the Sun conspire to "load and bless" the harvest: to make it a bumper harvest, full of heavy, rounded and sweet fruit.

---

"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."

• What image of autumn is the poet attempting to portray? What words suggest that image? (4)

[Need help?]

The words "to swell . . . and plump" provide the clue. Women swell and plump when pregnant. One could argue, then, that this is a sexual image inasmuch as the Sun impregnates his goddess-partner, Autumn, and the subsequent bumper harvest is the result: the Autumn swells and plumps like a pregnant woman, and results in a miracle harvest. This is an age-old concept. Fertility of women has often been connected with fertility of the harvest. In ancient times young virgin women would be sacrificed in spring-time so that their fertility would be bestowed on the fields so as to bring about a bumper harvest at autumn.

• Some transcriptions of this poem use the words "mossed cottage-trees" rather than "moss'd". Is there any difference between the word "mossed" and "moss'd"? (4)

[Need help?]

There could indeed be a difference. In older poetry, every syllable would be pronounced. "Mossed" would therefore be pronounced "moss-ed" -- as two syllables -- whereas "moss'd" would be only one syllable. There would therefore be a difference in the rhythm or scansion of the line. Indeed, "Ode to Autumn" has ten syllables per line. Is it written in iambic pentametres? The exact number of syllables is therefore important and a mispronunciation by adding in an extra syllable would be a disaster.

---

"To set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees."

• Parenthesis is used in these two line. Identify it and explain the poet's purpose in using it. (4)

[Need help?]

The words "And still more" is in parenthesis, the commas being used to demarcate its use. Parenthesis is used to provide extra information. In this case, the poet wishes to emphasise the abundance of flowers. More -- and still more -- flowers are budding. The result is an exaggerated idea of the abundance of the flowers.

---

"For Summer has o'erbrimm'd their clammy cells."

• What is the implication of the word "o'erbrimm'd" in the context of this stanza? (2)

[Need help?]

There is an overabundance. The honeycombs are not only full but they are overflowing with honey. There is more than enough -- just as there is more than enough fruit for everyone in such a bumper harvest. Nothing therefore is lacking.

• Explain the use of the apostrophe in the word "o'erbrimm'd". (4)

[Need help?]

Refer to an earlier question. In older times, every syllable in a poem would need to be pronounced. The word "o'erbrimm'd" when used without the apostrophe would be read "over-brimm-ed" -- giving four syllables. Using the apostrophe, on the other hand, "o'erbrimm'd" has only two syllables. There is therefore a difference in metre or rhythm in the line. This would be very important since Keats wants exactly ten syllables per line -- no more, no less. Is he writing in iambic pentametres? By putting in an extra syllable through incorrect pronunciation would therefore be a disaster.

---

Try another worksheet? See also: Knowledge4Africa.com English4Africa homepage