Journal #20- Longfellow's Autumn

After reading this poem over three times, and yes, once allowed, I have come to have a good idea of what the sonnet is about. Now that step one of the poetry explication rules is complete, we can move onto step two: the literal meaning of the poem. Sometimes, I have a hard time figuring out what the literal meanings and the symbolic meanings are of poem, but “Autumn” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow proved to be pretty simple. The poem depicts autumn by describing the weather, the scenery, and the sounds of the season. One could easily assume that the poem is set in the country because it mentions a farmer, along with oxen and the vast land. As I was reading through the third time, I was looking for the poetic devices that Longfellow used in the sonnet. I found an example of imagery in line five when he describes “the red harvest moon” and how it shields the vast fields (Longfellow). In line twelve, the poet uses the term ‘like’ to compare two items, which classifies the phrase as a simile. The line reads, “Like flames upon an altar shine the sheaves” (Longfellow). As to why this poem was written, it’s hard to say. I would claim it’s because Henry Wadsworth Longfellow enjoys the month of autumn. I would imagine that if a person had the choice to write about whatever they wanted to write about, they would choose something that they loved, were inspired by, and found beauty in. Judging by the sonnet, I would say all of these points are reasons for the topic. The way Longfellow describes the golden leaves with the rest of the beautiful scenery makes readers picture what he’s saying. In return, they enjoy the scene themselves. I also see the farmer and his land as being major parts in the storyline. He mentions the farmer’s prayers, which are most likely a result of the non growing fields because of the moon blocking them. In just a few lines, Longfellow creates a deep and emotional story that has a hanging end for the reader to finish for themselves.

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. The Complete Poetical Works, ed. by Horace E. Scudder. Boston and New York: Houghton, Mifflin & Co., 1893; Bartleby.com, 2011.