To Autumn And Ode To The West

Wind – How They Create New Views Of The World Essay, Research Paper

Without a doubt, poetry allows the reader to observe their surroundings in a new kind of light. Poetry enlightens readers to different heights enabling them to gain new ideas and impressions of the physical world, the society and nature around them. In the poems to be discussed, Ode to Autumn written by John Keats and Ode to the West Wind written by Percy Bysshe Shelley, the reader s eyes are opened to the new world of the season of Autumn. The persona of both poems show great admiration for Autumn and praise all its aspects. The poets describe a variety of items in the season of Autumn which allow the reader to be able to imagine the world that the poet is placing before them and to understand what it is that makes the persona glorify and compliment the season. This is done through a use of linguistic techniques including personification, auditory imagery, rhetorical questions, metaphors, similes and many more. These techniques will be discussed in reference to poetry creating new views of the world.

The main theme in Ode to Autumn is the beauty of Autumn. The author concentrates on giving Autumn a personal touch and feel to allow readers to be able to see all the wonders of Autumn. Autumn is often described as dark, harsh and bringing death, here, the writer praises Autumn, showing its splendour and elegance to all. This is seen when the author describes Autumn as a season of mists and mellow fruitfulness . This being the first line in the poem, introduces the idea that Autumn is not as menacing as it is usually assumed, but a soft, mature season full of abundance and productivity. The use of alliteration also used in this quote creates a slow, sleepy feeling showing the reader its quiet nature.

In the first stanza the poet presents to the reader a new concept of Autumn by telling the writer what the Autumn does. Autumn is one with the sun, conspiring with him , devising ways for the trees, and vines to bear fruit and flowers. The technique used here is personification. Autumn is given a human quality of conspiring, scheming through which the reader can relate to its behaviour and hence, understand it. The reader is introduced to Autumn as a season which brings life and hope, filling fruit with ripeness and flowers for the bees .

The second stanza of Ode to Autumn immediately captures the reader with a rhetorical question, Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store. The effect of using a rhetorical question allows the reader to stop for a moment and reflect on what is being asked, reflecting on Autumn itself and what it may appear to be like. The author then uses the rest of the stanza to answer the question. The author displays a few images of Autumn which add further to the new images of Autumn that the poem introduces the reader to. On a half-reaped furrow sound asleep, Drowsed with the fume of poppies. The technique used in this quote is imagery. The reader is presented with an image of Autumn that is drowsy, lazy and sleepy. The effect is transporting the reader to another time and place where they can experience the feel of Autumn in a calm state of serenity. There is also use of olfactory imagery where the writer introduces to the reader the smell of poppies, which is associated with Autumn.

The poet compares the Autumn to a gleaner, which is shown through the use of a simile, sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep Steady thy laden head across a brook. A gleaner is a person who gathers corn, which is left behind by the reapers. In this comparison, the reader s mind is open to this view that Autumn is very much like a gleaner in that it collects the left overs from previous seasons but remaining stable and abundant and prosperous as well.

The author also suggests to the audience as Autumn having a patient look with which thou watchest the last oozings, hours by hours. The personification of Autumn where it is said to have a patient look, is effective in that the audience is then provided with an concept of Autumn as diligent, submissive and humble. It is given human qualities, which present to the reader the thought that Autumn is actually quite noble. The repetition of hours and hours and the use of the word oozings create a mellow atmosphere for the description of Autumn. This is effective because when the lines are read it is impossible to not slow down the pace of reading to feel the Autumn to its full effect as inert. The use of this technique of choice of words and repetition deliberately connects the reader to a feeling of unhurried, smooth and delicate touch of Autumn breezing through on a day.

The third and final stanza of Ode to Autumn , starts with similarly to the second stanza with use of rhetorical questions. The purpose of this is again, to have the reader reflect on the behaviour and attitudes of Autumn. The difference is that this stanza asks the author to concentrate on the sounds of Autumn. The use of auditory imagery here is to enable the reader to be capable of associating various sounds which are connected to Autumn in order to really understand Autumn and appreciate it for its beauty and bringing of life as well as what is usually identified with Autumn death, coldness and depression.

Ode to the West Wind deals with the appreciation of the West wind in the season of Autumn. The main objective of the writer is to intro