To Autumn

“To Autumn” uses personification at both a line level and a larger thematic level. As a whole, the poem is a personification of the season of autumn, showing her with emotions, relationships, physical fatigue, and insecurities. The poem opens with the image of the Autumn and the sun as “close bosom-friend[s]” (Line 2) working together to bring the world to fruition. The poem chooses to use the word “conspiring” (Line 3), which brings with it a feeling of playfulness and intimacy between Autumn and the sun, much like two siblings or two friends playing together at building a tiny world of their own. In the third stanza, Autumn is seen to ask a direct question to the writer: “Where are the songs of spring? Ay, Where are they?” (Line 23). This breaks the tone of the poem up to this point and suggests an awareness, and perhaps an insecurity, that Autumn might have about her own failings. This could easily be seen as a reference to age and to lost youth as the year approaches the descent of its life, but the poet is quick to reassure Autumn that she has a unique beauty and music of her own.