Classic and Contemporary Poetry
AUTUMN, by JAMES STEPHENS Poet's Biography First Line: It may be on a quiet mountain-top Last Line: And sing no more to you. Subject(s): Autumn; Seasons; Fall | ||||||||
(1) It may be on a quiet mountain-top, Or in a valley folding among hills You take your path; and often you will stop To hear the chattering of pleasant rills; The piping of a wind in branches green; The murmuring of widely-lifted spray As the long boughs swing; or hear the twittering Of drowsy birds, when the great sun is seen Climbing the steep of darkness to the day. (2) The lovely moon trailing a silver dress By quiet waters! Each living star Moving apart in holy quietness, Sphere over golden sphere, moving afar, These I can see: And the unquiet zone, Rolling in snow along the edge of sight: The world is fair indeed; and I am free To see its beauty; and to be In solitude; and quite forget, and quite Lose out of memory all I have known But this. (3) Straying apart in sad and mournful way; Alone, or with my heart for company: Keeping the tone of a dejected day, And a bewilderment that came to me; I said -- The Spring will never come again, And there is the end of everything -- Day after day The sap will ebb away, From the great tree, And, when the sap is gone, All piteously She'll tumble to the clay: And we say only -- Such, or such a one Had pleasant shade But there is end of her -- (4) And you, and even you, the year Will drain and dry, And make to disappear! Then in my heart there came so wild a stir; And such great pity and astonish nent; And such a start of fear and woe had I, That where I went I did not know! And only this did know, That you could die! (5) I would have liked to sing from fuller throat To you who sang so well; but here I stay, Resting the music on a falling note; And hear it die away, and die away, With beauty unrehearsed, And life and love unsung. For I had clung, -- With what of laughter and of eagerness! -- Unto the hope that I might chance to be Master of Song! And, singing, be no less Than those great poets of antiquity, Who sang of clouds and hills; of stars and clods; Of trees and streams; and the mind and soul of man; And chaunted too the universal gods, And love that is or ever time began; And did not fail before a theme Although It passed the reason. (6) I heard a bird sing in the woods to-day A failing song: The times had caught on him! In autumn boughs he tried a wonted lay; And was abashed to find his music grim As the crow's song. Then, when I raised an air To comfort him, I wretched was to hear The crow did croak And chatter everywhere Within my ear. (7) And so, Behold! I am a saddened elf! And, as a deer Flies timidly to shade, I fly to laughter and I hide myself! And couch me in the coverts that I made Against those bold ambitions, And forswear The palm, the prize, or what of gear instead A poet gets with his appointed share Of beer and bread. (8) Upon the grass I drop this tuneful reed, And turn from it aside! And turn from more That I had fancied to be mine indeed, Beyond all reclamation. See the door Set in the boundary wall yawns windily! It will be shut when I have wandered through! And open will no more again for me This side of life, whatever thing I do! And so good-bye! And so good-night to you! And farewell all! Behold the lifted hand! And the long last look upon the view! And the last glimpse of that most lovely land! And thus away unto the mundane sphere, And look not back again nor turn anew, And hear no more that laughter at the ear! And sing no more to you. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...OUR AUTUMN by ELIZABETH AKERS ALLEN AN AUTUMN JOY by GEORGE ARNOLD A LEAF FALLS by MARION LOUISE BLISS THE FARMER'S BOY: AUTUMN by ROBERT BLOOMFIELD A LETTER IN OCTOBER by TED KOOSER AUTUMN EVENING by DAVID LEHMAN EVERYTHING THAT ACTS IS ACTUAL by DENISE LEVERTOV |
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