October

Robert Frost’s “October” is a 21-line poem written with a formal rhyme scheme and compressed into one long, single stanza. Despite its technically being one stanza, adherence to sentence structure within the poem divides it into informal stanzas, each discernable due to the consistent use of punctuation and rhyme. It is a pastoral poem that takes great interest in the natural world, using that world to explore the more abstract and philosophical concepts of death and time.

Opening in formal lyric fashion, “October” begins with a direct address to the season, which in the poem functions as addressee: “Oh hushed October morning mild” (Line 1). The following lines further situate the reader within the day and season by providing basic observations conveyed through vivid imagery like “leaves” that have “ripened” (Line 2) and the suggestion that said leaves are so changed they may be blown from the trees by the wind. The crows function much like the leaves, with the speaker alluding to the imminent change in season through a reference to avian migration: “The crows above the forest call; / Tomorrow they may form and go” (Lines 5-6) presumably south for winter.

One of two refrains in the poem, “O hushed October morning mild,” is repeated in Line 7. The repetition of this line is crucial in the sense that it is a formal, more traditional poetic convention that creates a sense of urgency. This urgency is underscored by the direct plea in Line 8, “Make the day seem to us less brief.” In Line 9, the poem provides a larger sense of scale for readers with the introduction of the first-person plural pronoun “us.” This choice in pronoun can be understood as a universal “us,” as “make the day seem to us less brief” (Line 8) is not necessarily an intimate but rather a global statement more deeply implicating the reader within the world of the poem and including the urgency of the text as it relates to mankind at large.

The “hearts” in Line 10 are more peculiar, as it is not immediately clear to whom or what “hearts” refers; however, within the context of the poem, “hearts” might well be more broadly understood as other people or mankind. The following line, “Beguile us in the way you know” (Line 11), may seem vague or confusing at first glance: “In the way you know” (Line 11) is a direct address employing the second-person pronoun “you.” Juxtaposed with the first-person plural “us” in the prior line, the “you” in Line 11 effectively acts as a specific reference to the season. Though there is no line break, the refrain beginning on Line 7, “O hushed October morning mild,” ends here, indicating that the speaker is still addressing October as an entity.

Lines 12 and 13 mention the “break of day” and “noon,” not just denoting time, but a passage of time within the poem itself. The leaves here represent time by taking something more abstract (the concept of time) and making it concrete through specific imagery. Most people are familiar with the way that leaves change over the course of the year, thus rendering this an effective image to represent time passing. The trees in Line 14 more globally suggest time, inferring that time is passing not just in one’s backyard but also farther afield.

Since "October" is often classified as a pastoral poem, Lines 15-16— “Retard the sun with gentle mist; / Enchant the land with amethyst"—are of note because true to the pastoral form, they provide a classical view on nature and landscape with a romantic tone idealizing the countryside. The choice of the descriptor amethyst is significant, as fall foliage is not typically purple in color; however, if the sun was "retard[ed] … with gentle mist" (Line 15), sunrises or sunsets may glow warm and purple. Amethyst signals the hope for an "enchant[ed]" (Line 16) October season filled with unexpected color and mirth.

While not a refrain per se, Line 17 functions as an extension of the opening refrain, “O hushed October morning mild,” as it provides yet another direct address to the October morning, though this time it is implied in “Slow, slow!” (Line 17). A new refrain is immediately introduced: Appearing in Lines 18 and 21, “For the grapes’ sake” serves as a refrain and an emphatic plea to the October morning to slow the passage of time, however with more intimacy in this instance since the speaker asks the season to spare something so specific as a singular (often purple) fruit.

As mentioned earlier, Frost’s poem is written in a single stanza yet has clear informal stanzas denoted within. The final “quatrain” (four lines) of “October” introduces the aforementioned grapes, which function as both metaphor and continue the sense of urgency maintained throughout the poem with the use of refrain. Metaphorically, the grapes in the final quatrain represent humans or humanity—perhaps even the speaker of the poem or their offspring. That the “leaves are already burnt with frost” (Line 19) suggests that the leaves have reached a turning point due to aging or the time of year, both of which reference the passing of time. While the poem is indirect regarding specific or identifying personal or historical information, the final focus on the grapes is perhaps the most personal the poem gets, showing that the speaker cares for the grapes enough to bear repeating.

Frost’s choice of the month October for this poem heavily implies that winter equals great change or even death—specifically to flora and fauna, as far as the basic images of the poem are concerned. Metaphorically, the poem takes on a darker meaning, ruminating on life, especially as one enters old age. The poem appears as one of the last in Frost's collection, A Boy’s Will, further providing evidence that Frost’s intention was to contemplate life including the passage of time and, ultimately, death.