Summary of “Autumn”

About the author

John Clare (1793 -1864) was an English poet famous for his celebratory representations of the English countryside and his lamentation of its disruption. Some of his notable collections of poetry are First Love, Snow Storm, The Village Minstrel and Other Poems etc. The following poem presents a pen picture of the mellow beauty of autumn in the countryside. As this season comes just before winter, it is characterized by falling leaves, bare branches and strong winds.

(80 words)

Introduction of the poem

The poem talks about the wind shaking leaves from trees and making them twirl. Birds chirp, and twigs shake. It describes nature in autumn, with falling acorns and pigs searching for food. The poet enjoys watching these simple things, showing how nature changes with seasons in a peaceful and beautiful way.

(50 words)

Summary of the poem

Summary in 50 words

The poem talks about the wind shaking leaves from trees and making them twirl. Birds chirp, and twigs shake. It describes nature in autumn, with falling acorns and pigs searching for food. The poet enjoys watching these simple things, showing how nature changes with seasons in a peaceful and beautiful way.

(50 words)

Summary in 100 words

The poem describes the strong wind shaking trees and blowing away dry leaves. The leaves spin and dance as they fall. Birds chirp, and twigs move with the wind. The poet enjoys watching these signs of autumn. Acorns fall from trees, and pigs hurry to eat them. The poem also talks about pigeons in their nests and a feather falling from a raven. Everything in nature moves and changes with the seasons. The poet finds beauty in these small things and enjoys how nature shows its rhythm. It is a peaceful and simple poem about the changing seasons.

(100 words)

Summary in 150 words

The poem beautifully describes the changes in nature during autumn. The strong wind shakes the trees, making the dry leaves twirl and fall. The poet enjoys watching this natural movement. Twigs shake, birds chirp, and acorns drop from oak trees. The falling acorns are noticed by pigs, who quickly scramble to eat them. The poem also mentions pigeons resting in their nests, a raven’s feather drifting down, and the sails of a windmill turning. All these images show how nature is always in motion, especially during seasonal shifts. The poet finds joy in these small but meaningful details of life. The poem highlights the beauty of everyday sights, like smoke from a cottage, birds on rooftops, and trees swaying in the wind. It reminds us to appreciate the little things that make up the changing seasons. The poet celebrates autumn’s rhythm, showing how nature’s cycle continues peacefully.

(150 words)

Stanza-wise Explanation of the poem

1st Stanza:

“I love the fitful gust that shakes
The casement all day,
And from the mossy elm-tree takes
The faded leaves away,
Twirling them by the window pane
With thousand others down the lane.”

📖 Explanation:

The poet talks about how the strong wind blows all day, shaking the window (casement). The wind also takes dry, old leaves from the elm tree, making them fly away. The leaves spin and twirl in the air as they fall near the window and down the road, along with many other leaves.

The poet enjoys watching this natural movement. The scene describes the arrival of autumn, when leaves fall from trees, and the wind becomes stronger.

This stanza shows the beauty of nature and change in seasons, as the poet finds joy in small things like the wind and falling leaves.

2nd Stanza:

“I love to see the shaking twig
Dance till the shut of eve
The sparrow on the cottage rig,
Whose chirp would make believe
That spring was just now flirting by
In summer’s lap with flowers to lie.”

📖 Explanation:

The poet enjoys watching a small twig shake in the wind, as if it is dancing until evening. This movement shows the liveliness of nature. A sparrow sits on the cottage roof and chirps happily. Its cheerful song makes the poet feel as if spring is still present, even though autumn has already arrived. The poet imagines that spring was playfully passing by (“flirting”) and resting in summer’s warmth (“lap”) among flowers. This means that even though the season has changed, the happiness and beauty of spring still seem to linger. The stanza beautifully connects different seasons and highlights how nature continues its rhythm.

3rd Stanza:

I love to see the cottage smoke
Curl upwards through the naked trees,
The pigeons nestled round the cote
On dull November days like these;
The cock upon the dung-hill crowing,
The mill sails on the heath a-going.

📖 Explanation:

The poet expresses his love for simple sights in nature. He enjoys watching the smoke rise from the cottage chimney, curling upwards through the bare (naked) trees, showing that autumn or early winter has arrived. The pigeons are seen resting near their cote (nest) on dull and gray November days, adding to the quiet and peaceful mood.

The poet also describes common countryside scenes: a rooster (cock) crowing on a dung-hill, a typical morning sound in villages, and windmill sails turning in the open fields (heath). These details show the simple beauty of rural life and how everything in nature follows its rhythm, even during the colder months.

4th Stanza:

The feather from the raven’s breast
Falls on the stubble lea,
The acorns near the old crow’s nest
Fall pattering down the tree;
The grunting pigs, that wait for all,
Scramble and hurry where they fall.

📖 Explanation:

The poet describes how nature moves in its own rhythm. A raven’s feather gently falls to the ground, landing on the stubble lea (a field with short stalks of crops left after harvesting). This shows the quiet and calm atmosphere of late autumn.

Nearby, acorns from an oak tree fall near an old crow’s nest, making a soft pattering sound as they drop to the ground. The scene then becomes more lively as pigs, who are eagerly waiting for food, grumble and rush to eat the fallen acorns.

The theme of the poem

The theme of the poem is the speaker’s love and appreciation for the sights and sounds of autumn in the countryside, such as the shaking of the trees, the falling leaves, the chirping of birds, and the curling of smoke from the cottages. The poem celebrates the beauty and charm of nature during this season.

(55 words)

Conclusion

The poem does not have a clear conclusion but rather presents the speaker’s ongoing love and appreciation for the autumnal scenes described. The final line, “Curl upwards through the naked trees,” suggests a continuation of the imagery and appreciation for the beauty of the season.

(45 words)