Autumn
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow – 1807-1882
With what a glory comes and goes the year!
The buds of spring, those beautiful harbingers
Of sunny skies and cloudless times, enjoy
Life’s newness, and earth’s garniture spread out;
And when the silver habit of the clouds
Comes down upon the autumn sun, and with
A sober gladness the old year takes up
His bright inheritance of golden fruits,
A pomp and pageant fill the splendid scene.
There is a beautiful spirit breathing now
Its mellow richness on the clustered trees,
And, from a beaker full of richest dyes,
Pouring new glory on the autumn woods,
And dipping in warm light the pillared clouds.
Morn on the mountain, like a summer bird,
Lifts up her purple wing, and in the vales
The gentle wind, a sweet and passionate wooer,
Kisses the blushing leaf, and stirs up life
Within the solemn woods of ash deep-crimsoned,
And silver beech, and maple yellow-leaved,
Where Autumn, like a faint old man, sits down
By the wayside a-weary. Through the trees
The golden robin moves; the purple finch,
That on wild cherry and red cedar feeds,
A winter bird, comes with its plaintive whistle,
And pecks by the witch-hazel, whilst aloud
From cottage roofs the warbling blue-bird sings;
And merrily, with oft-repeated stroke,
Sounds from the threshing-floor the busy flail.
O what a glory doth this world put on
For him who, with a fervent heart, goes forth
Under the bright and glorious sky, and looks
On duties well performed, and days well spent!
For him the wind, ay, and the yellow leaves
Shall have a voice, and give him eloquent teachings.
He shall so hear the solemn hymn, that Death
Has lifted up for all, that he shall go
To his long resting-place without a tear.
November 9, 2019 at 2:29 pm
Beautiful, Elizabeth. Thanks for sharing this. I hope you’re doing well. xo
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November 9, 2019 at 4:05 pm
Doing well, Jill. Thanks for asking. Hope all of you guys are well. Have a lovely Thanksgiving.
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November 9, 2019 at 5:03 pm
You do the same, Elizabeth!
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November 10, 2019 at 5:28 pm
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing this poem, Elizabeth xx
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November 10, 2019 at 8:09 pm
You’re welcome, Clare. Happy you enjoyed. One of my favorite Autumn tributes. 🙂
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November 11, 2019 at 8:11 pm
🙂
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November 12, 2019 at 4:54 am
A good poem is always the order of the day, curled up on a cold Autumn day, with a hot drink.
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November 12, 2019 at 9:07 pm
Thanks, Ste J. I really need to get over and visit you. Been so busy working all year, haven’t had time to do much of anything. On vacation at the moment and of course my first few days off have turned cold and snowy. Doesn’t look like fall out there now, more like winter.
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November 13, 2019 at 4:56 am
Lots of things have happened, back in the UK at the moment, with a new baby, and many books have been read. Enjoy your vacation even if you have to pretend its winter and get out all the christmas films.
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November 13, 2019 at 3:32 pm
Wow, congrats on the new baby, Papa. 😀
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