What does the title ‘To Autumn’ suggest?
The title ‘To Autumn’ suggests a letter, late summer and something seasonal
Who wrote the poem?
John Keats
What is the poem about overall?
The poem is about cycle of life and death in nature
Why the poem written?
Keat wrote the poem as an ode to Autumn, based on a beautiful, Autumnal walk as a celebration of life, as it is thought Keats was dying of TB when he write the poem
What is the structure of the poem? What does it reflect?
The poem is written in iambic pentameter which relfects the constant cycle of life and death
What is the rhyme scheme? What does it signify?
It also has a repetitive rhyme scheme, which breakes down and changes towards the end of the 2nd and 3rd stanzas, signifying change and time passsing, as seasons change
Name the first theme of the poem. Explain.
One theme of the poem is NATURE. It features changing seasons and praises the utter beauty of nature
Name the second theme of the poem. Explain
A second theme of the poem is TIME. As seasons change, and winter/death approaches, the POWER of time is evident
Human power isn’t constant, but natural power is
“mellow fruitfulness!”
mellifluous alliterative phrase
in praise of nature’s delicacy and beauty
“close bosom-friend”
symbolism
implying the intimacy of nature as there is an abundance of late summer/early autumn
“o’erbrimm’d their clammy cells”
negative connotations
summer has provided too much
“winnowing wind”
alliteration
reminds us of how time is passing as the wind moves
“a half-reap’d furrow”
mournful tone
only half the harvest has been taken & winter is coming
“where are the songs of Spring?”
rhetorical question/sombre tone
Winter has come
“the small gnats mourn”
personification
Perhaps Keats knew he was dying of TB as nature embraces death/winter
