Write an appreciation of ‘To Autumn’. Consider poetic techniques, use of imagery, diction, rhythm etc, appeals to senses, the effectiveness of the poem for the reader, must be hand written.
In this essay I will try to explain how John Keats writes the ode ‘To Autumn’. This means I will analyse the poem, and to the extent of my knowledge pick out the poetic techniques Keats uses. These will include, personification, the use of imagery, diction, rhythm, appeals to senses, similes, metaphors etc.
To begin with he personifies the whole poem as if he where talking to the actually inanimate Autumn. Through the whole poem it is as if he was talking to Autumn, or maybe even Autumn is being meant as Mother Nature. An example of this is line 2, ‘Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun.’ This I believe means that Autumn is in cooperation with the life giving sun to ripen the crops. Also he compares Autumn and Spring through personification by saying, ‘Where are the songs of Spring,’ and, ‘thou hast thy music too.’ Both these seasons have been personified which shows that maybe Autumn is not Mother Nature, but that each season is a different person with a different personality. As an example this could mean that Summer may be uncomfortable climatically, whereas Autumn may have a great climate. The impression that Keats gives to me of Autumn is that he, she or it is careless and lazy, ‘on a half-reap’d furrow sound asleep,’ intoxicated, ‘Drows’d with the fume of poppies,’ and finally, tranquil: