- Image by Emily Barney via Flickr
Here is a short video with my commentary about Keat’s poem “Ode to Autumn“. It includes some photos to help the reader get an idea of what England looks like, and what Keats had in mind when he used certain words. Thanks again for all your wonderful comments. You inspire me to do more!
Ode to Autumn commentary video (click here if you cannot see the video below; this is an alternative link).
(This article reminds me that Winchester is where Jane Austen is buried, and that her home in Hampshire is 30 minutes’ drive away from Winchester. See this article for more information.)
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Thank you so much for explanation and photographs about Ode to Autumn. It helped me get the background of this verse. It’s interesting that the first stanza describes taste of autumn and the second stanza describes sights and the third is sound.Your Winchester photographs reminded me of England countryside which I have seen before. I felt the color of trees and mountains is lighter than Japan’s.This mild scenery helped Keats make this verse that speaks to our five senses, didn’t it?
Who is Horiguchi Daigaku?
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%A0%80%E5%8F%A3%E5%A4%A7%E5%AD%B8
Thank you so much for your favour to send us wonderful commentary video. You explained the perfect poem of rhythm and rhyme scheme, “Ode To Autumn” by John Keats with very detailed descriptions, many pictures and each important word’s explanation.
I am sure you took lot of time. You inspire me to greater efforts, though I am originally lazy.
I understood well what thatch-eves, hazel shells and winnowing wind were like by the shown pictures. The word, a gleaner,remind me of the picture “落ち穂拾い”by Millet which I saw in the Orsay museum in Paris.
In my youth, we could still see the scene of gleaners like that in the rural areas. At that time the farmers didn’t have many machines to work with in a rice crop as nowadays. So they had to do all things like cutting rice, winnowing and ploughing with their own hands. Sometimes they used the cows to plough. When I was elementary school girl, I experienced cutting rice, carrying them and gleaning ,etc. They were very hard work but I felt rather interesting. I think the divine nature,(“autumun is close bosom-friend of the muturing sun”) gave all people a kind of satisfaction and the attitude of thanks and prayer.
Anyway I love all stanzas of this poem. as the analysis the first stanza is aureate. It is the fullness of nature’s own grace and autumnal gift of herself. The autumn is worthy of great praise.
Your comment reminded me of another famous picture by Millet, The Angelus (the picture at the top right of the Wikipedia page is “The Angelus”),that at first wasn’t accepted by Salon (des Beaux Arts?) because of the subject of labour.
You made a link. Well done!! Unfortunately, your link did not work for me, so I edited your comment and added a link to the word “Millet”, that takes you to the JapaneseWikipedia page for Millet. “The Angelus” is the first picture right at the top of the page.
Sorry for taking your time. Let me try again about「晩鐘」
Maple leaves さん、詩の観賞は人それぞれ、その人なりの解釈で心にイメージを描ければ良いのですね。
実りの秋、成熟して収穫される迄に すべての物は種々なドラマを秘めています。そして各々の種 (species)が 永遠に続いていくようにと 神様が与えて下さった自然の偉大さに想いを馳せて ”Ode To Autumn”を難しいながらも私なりのイメージを抱きながら観賞しています。そしてますます感動しているしだいです。
今朝の新聞で“葡萄の時間”と題するこんな詩を見つけました。 『 時間の中耐える事で 葡萄は重みを増し 熟してゆくのだと信じていたが 堅忍の先にある軽さを知らなかった． 風と遊び光と戯れ 露を飾り雨を楽しむ ゆったりと受容する水のような時間があり 葡萄は甘くなるのだと 今は思っている．』６４歳男性
I’m really sorry for Keats had an idea that he was fallure as a poet.I wonder he took his style of writing as old fashioned? Some artists suffer from their identities on their own art. When I was a high student I learned “Is happiness still possible?” by Bertrand Russell.Acording to his theory, artists are the unhappiest people,personally I don’t want to believe it.
This is very interesting. I have not read Russell’s essay. You can read it online in English here (and in Japanese here). I will read it.
This gives me an idea for the next topic: the philosophy of art. I will use some ideas from Ayn Rand.
“A little over a year following the publication of ‘Ode to Autumn’, Keats died in Rome.” He died of tuberculosis, which had plagued his family. Regardless of this knowledge, the image of the poem is placid and soothing, brought by the rich autumn, from the beginning to the end, except the image of “wailful choir” or “hedge-crickets sing.” In the last stanza, I sense “finality,” though in the middle of maturity. The day is going to be over at the end of autumn. Of course life continues from autumn to winter to spring, but there is a cycle from the beginning to the end, in a day, in a week, and in a year, going forward spirally.
Anyway, I like autumn best, and I feel most inspired by it. I also like the time of evening twilight, I sometimes remember ”夕暮れの時はよい時” by 堀口大学 (Mr.Daigaku Horiuchi) in a view of the dusk as it changes from season to season.
Another great video! Thanks to Marc’s explanation and lovely pictures, images of the poem have gotten much clearer in me. As is said, “a picture is worth a thousand words.”
Many thanks for your wonderful present of video with lovely pictures which is like a one-to-one lesson: you are next to me.Your speaking speed is just good to understand for me. I’d like to study more with it. Thank you indeed.
たった二か月足らずで なんと多くのことを詩について学んだでしょう。実りの秋を満喫しました。