Autumn Song Poem by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Autumn Song

Rating: 3.2


Know'st thou not at the fall of the leaf
How the heart feels a languid grief
Laid on it for a covering,
And how sleep seems a goodly thing
In Autumn at the fall of the leaf?

And how the swift beat of the brain
Falters because it is in vain,
In Autumn at the fall of the leaf
Knowest thou not? and how the chief
Of joys seems—not to suffer pain?

Know'st thou not at the fall of the leaf
How the soul feels like a dried sheaf
Bound up at length for harvesting,
And how death seems a comely thing
In Autumn at the fall of the leaf?

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Kevin Straw 22 September 2012

No I do not know, is the short answer. The question is has Rossetti. My soul has never felt like a dried sheaf ready for harvesting - I would not know what that felt like. My soul has felt like laughing when it reads such a synthetic nonsense poem as this. Why would one feel grief at the fall of a leaf, apart from the fact that the two words rhyme? I do not believe in this poem.

3 7 Reply
Joey Valenzuela 22 September 2010

indeed, the fall of the leaf is not as grievous at all..... the narrator presented the fall of the leaf as an image to describe a humane characteristic of a person... every person can be happy and sometime sad, even grieving...the narrator compared the grief of a man to the season (autumn) ... grieving is not a weakness at all, although we feel frail when we're are grieving.... grieving is a powerful emotions that makes a man stronger.....(although too much is not good) the falling of the leaves is like the rolling of the tears in our cheeks.... and it is power...it means we are human...we are powered emotionally....and we are living.... the dead cries no more.....so we are fortunate we still can cry....grieve... and autumn, therefore, doesn't mean grief but power...

7 0 Reply
Manohar Bhatia 22 September 2013

The poet is saddened when a tree sheads a leaf and that leaf covers the ground like a bed for someone to sleep and it is only in Autumn this happens. Then the next stanza says something about the brain.In Autumn only, our brain wants to beat swiftly, but because it is Autumn, it is relaxed and this chief of joy(i.e.the brain) does not suffer the pain of beating swiftly.Then in the third stanza, the soul of man is decribed to a dried sheaf, which is almost dead and {death} is like a comedy of errors.A great poem, if someone goes deep into it. Manohar Bhatia.

4 0 Reply
John Kim 22 September 2013

I would take the autumn in a total different way...... Shedding of leaves gives the sign of start of new fresh life... Spring is on its way.... Every season leaves an impact on the mind of every person. It is as if seasons have a say on our mind. Yes, definitely. Here, the poet sees Autumn in the above way. As trees shed out their leaves, it gives the reminder of death - very symbolic. Truly philosophical. As one would look at the bare tree branches, one can be driven to sadness. In cenemas, when a character is in a desolate condition, often a barren tree will also be included in the scene. This shows the general mood that a barren tree creates in the mind of man. The poet's mind is also within the same framework.

2 1 Reply
Thirupathi Narayan 22 September 2009

I would take the autumn in a total different way...... Shedding of leaves gives the sign of start of new fresh life... Spring is on its way....

1 2 Reply
Kumarmani Mahakul 06 September 2022

This poem on Autumn has been nicely executed.So touching.Thanks for sharing.

0 0 Reply
Ahmed Gumaa Siddiek 22 February 2016

Know'st thou not at the fall of the leaf How the heart feels a languid grief Laid on it for a covering, And how sleep seems a goodly thing In Autumn at the fall of the leaf Autumn is the season for sadness because life change from green to yellow and the human soul as well. The poem expresses the deep human feelings of sadness and grief. the poet connects the bareness of autumn with death. It is a gloomy picture but it is truth about life.

2 3 Reply
Susan Lacovara 22 September 2014

I have always found Autumn to be the hardest season in which to say goodbyes...Like the shift from greens to crisp crimson, the change comes too quickly....A beautiful poem herein.

2 3 Reply
Gajanan Mishra 22 September 2014

fall of the leaf, meaningful.

2 3 Reply
Aftab Alam Khursheed 22 September 2014

Poet beautifully described the autumn in terms of death Autumn is a symbol for death and the leaves that fall freely with no force need..similarly the grief , languid grief.... this poem sled towards the Keats Melancholy Know'st thou not at the fall of the leaf How the heart feels a languid griefKnow'st thou not at the fall of the leaf How the soul feels like a dried sheaf Bound up at length for harvesting, And how death seems a comely thing In Autumn at the fall of the leaf?

0 0 Reply
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