Ode to Autumn by John Keats: Analysis and Summary
Ode to Autumn by John Keats
Voice
The poem is written in the second person, as the poet directly addresses autumn.
Mood
The dominant mood is melancholy, reflecting the transition from summer’s fullness to the approaching cold of winter.
Theme
The poem exalts the fullness of maturity, praising the beauty and abundance of autumn.
Structure and Parts
The poem is divided into three stanzas, each eleven lines long, written in iambic pentameter.
Part 1 (Lines 1-11): Focuses on the maturity and fullness of autumn.
Part 2 (Lines 12-22): Explores the richness and sensory pleasures of the season.
Part 3 (Lines 23-33): Celebrates the unique qualities of autumn, comparing it to spring and highlighting its music.
Summary
Keats celebrates autumn by focusing on its fruits, the music of the season, and the tranquil activities associated with harvest time. He personifies autumn, showcasing its beauty and unique qualities.
Metrics and Rhyme Scheme
Each stanza follows a three-part structure with a variable rhyme scheme. The first four lines follow an ABAB pattern, while the remaining seven lines vary (CDEDCCE in the first stanza and CDECDDE in the second and third).
Figures of Speech
- Personification: Autumn is repeatedly personified throughout the poem, interacting with the sun, having hair lifted by the wind, and taking on the roles of a laborer and gleaner.
- Metaphor: Examples include comparing the insides of flowers to “clammy cells” and using “music” to represent the harmonious scenery.
- Simile: Autumn is compared to a gleaner gathering scraps from the field.
- Metonymy: Autumn’s “patient look” represents her patient character.
- Rhetorical Question: Used to engage the reader and emphasize certain points, such as the comparison between autumn and spring.
- Alliteration: Used throughout the poem to create musicality and emphasis, such as “winnowing wind” and “barred clouds bloom.”
- Anaphora: Repetition of words like “where” and “or” for emphasis.
- Antithesis: Contrast between “lives or dies” to highlight the cycle of life and death.
- Enjambment and Hyperbaton: Used to create a sense of flow and movement.
- Pastoral Imagery: Depicts idyllic scenes of lambs, crickets, and birds to evoke a sense of tranquility.