To Autumn: Poem Analysis
Keats, in his marvelous piece of work, “To Autumn”, describes the imaginary typical early autumn. He has an emphasis on the sun that us maturing and helping the fruits to ripe. The products of nature that are described in this work are getting to a stage of maturity and ripeness.
Keats beautifully and passionately emphasis the autumn music which is made by the natural sources like the crickets, swallows, many insects, animals, and the birds. A remarkable illustration of artistic imagination is made by Keats, to describe the end of the day, by mentioning the twitters returning to their nests in the night. The author here, in the most beautiful format, describes the love and the gift that nature has to give it to mankind
“Spring and All”
As the title suggests, “Spring and all”, in this poem the author does not mesmerize the beautiful version of spring and describes nature, rather depicts the realistic scene. Muddy field, patches of water, bushes, and scattering of trees beside a contagious hospital is portrayed in the poem.
The cold wind and the nearby hospital described in this piece of work is both gloomy and explicitly describes birth and death. It talks about the springs that the newborn would witness and the suffering who would leave this world in the hospital would not be able to see it. Ironically the reality of human life initiating with the birth and the death, with what humans give to nature and receives from nature is very well presented in this work.
The forfeit and boon of nature
“Seasons of the mist and the mellow fruitfulness”, the author in the poem, “To Autumn”, amazingly talks about the much autumn as a season and what nature has to provide to a human being. The foggy weather, the sunshine and the misty season, probably the same as in England is described. Most eminently the poet refers to the mature sun that is bringing this season early. Right from the grapes and the apples, to the plums and hazel shells, the poet describes everything that the early autumn is going to provide in the best form.
Keats describes the beautiful autumn to a beautiful gracious woman, a woman with long hairs who are dancing in the breeze, that describes as, “winnowing wind” in the poem. The poet compares the silent beauty of nature to that of a death, which is a blissful feeling of peacefulness and drowsiness that comes along with that of the opium.
When Keats describes nature in the most beautiful, romantic and gracious format, William Carlos Williams has a critic method of describing nature and keeps one thinking whether its a praise or a criticism. At the beginning of the first stanza in the poem, William Carlos compels the readers to visualize the cold wind, the molted blue sky and also a contagious hospital which looks gloomy.
Spring which is a wonderful season that brings everything around us to light, the author describes the fallen leaves and the muddy fields which portrays a sad image. “Lifeless in appearance, sluggish dazed spring approaches”, this quote and the line of the poem describes both the sorrow of the people who are admitted in the hospital and would be no longer alive to see the spring, but on an optimistic note, the author mentions about the newborn who would be a part of the amazing season.
Nature’s instinct
Both of the quotes mentions more about nature and what nature has to give to us. Ironically when they are read between the lines, it gives a feeling of joy and sorrow that automatically triggers into one’s soul and thought. The question arises here is, “Is nature a bliss or a warning in disguise that humans avoid? Both authors have mentioned both sides of nature that human sees or ignores.
Keats who goes beyond in his work to praise the gifts that nature has to give, on the other hand, “Spring and All”, does not completely sidelines the beauty of nature, but ironically warms us and shows the gloomy side of life. With some visualization of the muddy fields, the brown leaves and the bushes around the hospital that makes it appear sad, William Carlos brings out an optimistic thought by mentioning them, “they enter the new world naked cold”, here the author describes a new hope that is coming up.
Conclusion
William Carlos and Keats, both have an amazing art and sense of natures description, Keats approach is far more poetic, blissful, romantic and mesmerising in terms of describing the nature, whereas William Carlos approach is knocking the doors of reality. Both have provided the best of evidences, description and the visualization in their work, but, “Spring and All”, provides an examplanary image of the two sides of nature.
One goes beyond the praise of the natures gift whereas the other scares with the impact and the description. Keats compares the wind with the hairs of a beautiful woman standing in the breeze, where as William Carlos compares the dry leaves of spring with the new upcoming life and the ones leaving the world. One quote makes the amazing season of Spring appear gloomy and sad, and the work on, “To Autumn”, makes the season of autumn look more mesmerizing that the spring.
Citation
- Keats’ Poems
https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/k/keats-poems/summary-and-analysis/to-autumn - Spring and All Summary
https://www.enotes.com/topics/spring-all - Spring and All
Shmoop Editorial Team – https://www.shmoop.com/spring-and-all/ - William Carlos Williams – Spring and All [by the Road To the Contagious Hospital]
https://genius.com/William-carlos-williams-spring-and-all-by-the-road-to-the-contagious-hospital-annotated
