Notes from Soma Madam

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TheOdetoAutumnwasthelastofthefamousodesKeatswroteandperhapshisgreatest.
JohnKeatssOdetoAutumnisrepletewithimagery,eachelevenlinestanzaofiambic
pentameteremphasizingdifferenttypesofimagesanddifferenttimesofdayandperiodsofthe
personifiedseason.ConsideredamongthegreatestpoemsoftheEnglishlanguage,itsrichand
evocativeimageryisessentialtoitsreputation.Keatstouchesonallfivesenses.Thepoetfully
engagesusintheexperienceofautumn.Theresnothingthatwilladdmorepowertopoetrythan
invitingthereaderintothesensoryworld.TherangeofKeatssimageryaddsimmediacy.
Withoutit,thepoemwouldhavethefeelofanintellectualexerciseanessay.
Thereareimageclusters.Thefirststanzaisprimarilyvisual.Sightisourpreemininentsensory
experience,Keatsknowsit,andsothefirststanzacreatesthepoemssetting.Butbeforethe
closeofthefirststanza,hedwellsonsensation(touch):thewarmthoftheday,theclammy
cells,thesoftliftedhair.Ivetentativelyincludedthewinnowingwindasasensationsincewecan
bothseeandfeelthewind.
Thesecondmovesusbacktothevisualexperienceofautumn.Thefumeofpoppiesengages
oursenseofsmellwhichscientistsclaimtobeourmostassociativesense.Butnoticewhat
happensinthethirdstanza.Withakindofdeliberateness,Keatssverseoerbrimswithaural
imagery.Keatssvisualterrainisfilledwithsound:thewailfulchoirsofmourninggnats,the
lambsloudbleating,thesingingofthecrickets,thetreblesoftwhistlesoftheredbreastasthe
swallowstwitter.
Theclusterofauralimageryisdeliberate.Beginningwiththewailfulchoirsandmourninggnats,
theyeffectivelycommunicateasenseofautumnallossthatwouldhavebeenmoredifficultto
communicatesolelythroughvisualimagery.
Stanzaoneaboundswithvisualimagesallofwhichsuggestlinkedideasoffullnessand
ripeness.Toenumerate,theopeninglineconcludeswithfruitfulness,whichevokesimages
bothoftreesandothervegetationloadedandheavywitheachsparticularvarietyofproduce.
Readersalsosensethejuicyripenessthatfillsandswellstoburstingeachdifferentitemof
fruition.Vinesareloadedandblessedwithfruitappletreebranchesbendundertheweightof
fruitreadytobepickedgourdsswell,hazelnutsareplumpwithdevelopedkernelsbeehives
oerbrimwiththenectarofariotofblossoms.
Thevisualimagerybecomeskinestheticwiththephysicalsensationofstrain.Thesunis
maturingbothinthesenseofapproachingitssolsticeandsuggestingmorning.Eventhemuch
usedexpressionClosebosomfriendswellswithasuggestionoflactationandfertility.Itistime
forparturition,forharvestwhatwasplantedtwoseasonspreviously.
Withstanzatwoearlierhintsofpersonificationaredeveloped.Autumnisareapersittingona
granaryfloorbutnotgrimmerelydrowsywiththefumeofpoppies.Heisaddressedwiththe
pronounthee,whichisreservedforhumanbeingsortheiranthropomorphisms.Whoamong
ushasnotseenhim?Hehashairthatissoftliftedbythewinnowingwind.Personificationis
seentobeacombinationofvisualandtactileimageryandavarietyofmetaphor.Itismiddayand
hehasbeenbusycuttingswathes,operating,theciderpress,watchingwithpatientlook...the

Notes from Soma Madam

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lastoozings.
Theimageryofstanzathreeispredominantlyauditorybutstillvisual.Autumnisdirectednotto
ThinkofthesongsofSpringforthouhastthymusic.Addthewailfulchoirthatthesmall
gnatsmourn.[F]ullgrownlambsloudbleat...Hedgecricketssing...withtreblesoft/The
redbreastwhistles...swallowstwitter.Itisbotheveningandlateintheseason.Thedayis
softdyingandtheharvestedstubbleplainsaretouchedwithrosyhueofsunsetandits
barredcloudsthatbloomintheirownspecialway.Timepasses.Winterisnearathand.But
thereisnoreasontomournsincethecyclewillbeginagainwiththesongsofSpringandrebirth.