Class: IX > AUTUMN > Textual Questions and Answers

Autumn---byJohn Clare

Summary: The peasant poet, John Clare, is overwhelmed with the beautiful sight of the autumn. He enjoys the sudden blow of the wind shaking the casement intermittently throughout the day, removing the dry and worn-out leaves from the mossy elm-tree to whirl and scatter them all over the window-pane and narrow path. The poet is fascinated to look at the trembling and swaying of the twig till the night. He likes the twittering of the sparrow that perches on the jutted part of a cottage. It makes everyone convinced that the spring just takes rest in the abundance of the exuberant summer. The poet stares at smoke emitting from the chimney of a cottage and coiling upwards to encircle the trees that stand exposed there. In the days of late autumn in dull November month, the poet observes the pigeons sheltered in their nests and cock crowing steadily, perching on the heap of dung. He also sees the windmill continuing its motion on the open and barren field. The poet’s eyes follow the feather shedding from raven’s breast to fall on the stump of the reaped cornfield covered with grass. He gazes on the acorns dropping silently and gently near the old crow’ s nest. He notices the grunting swines waiting to rush sharply to reach that place where those acorns fall.

* Memorise the following answers (Within 25/15 words) :

 How is an Autumn season characterised in the poem “Autumn”?

A: …by falling leaves, bare branches of the tree and strong winds.

 What is ‘fitful gust’ and what does it shake?

A: …strong wind that blows in the month of Autumn restlessly and it shakes the casement.

 What does the gust in autumn take away down the lane?

A: In autumn, the gust takes the faded leaves from the mossy elm-tree away. The gust twirls those leaves by the windowpane and takes them down the lane with a thousand others.

 What does the poem present before the reader?

A: …a vivid description of the pleasant beauty of Autumn in the countryside.

 What does the poet represent in the poem?

A: …the beauties of the English countryside and laments over its disruption.

 What would the chirp of the sparrow, according to the poet, make-believe?

A: According to the poet, the chirp of the sparrow would make believe that spring was just now flirting by and there were beautiful flowers in summer's lap.

 To what is the poet attracted?

A: …to the strong wind,…

 Which picture of the cottage smoke does the poet see in autumn?

A: The poet sees, in autumn, the cottage smoke curl upwards. And the smoke curls upwards through the naked trees. He loves to see that scene.

 Describe the situation in which the poet found the raven?

A: While observing nature in autumn, the poet saw the raven flying. At the time of flying the feather from its breast falls on the stubble lea.

 What happens to the acorns, as seen by the poet, in autumn?

A: ln autumn, the sudden gust blows fitfully. Then the acorns near the old crow's nest fall down the tree. They fall with pattering sound.

 Why are the November days considered as ‘Dull’?

A: Here ‘Dull’ means uninteresting or boring as this particular time represents an emptiness in nature. Nature shades everything. So, it is called ‘dull’.

 What does the word ‘mill’ stand for?

A: …wind mill generally found on the heath (field) in the countryside.

 Where do the pigs scramble and hurry?

A: …to grab the acorn which was fallen.

 What does the ‘mill sail’ symbolise?

A: …the eternal flow of the cycle of seasons that go on uninterruptedly.

 What does ‘a-going’ mean?

A: …the motion sail of the mill.