Autumn Within
Autumn Within - meaning Summary
Autumn Within the Self
Longfellow contrasts an outward world of life and renewal with an inner sense of aging and silence. The speaker observes birds, growth, and activity around him while feeling a personal coldness and loneliness. Natural autumnal images—falling leaves, rustle, and a still mill—mirror interior decline and emotional stagnation. The poem frames solitude and inner decay against persistent external vitality, emphasizing a dissonance between self and season.
Read Complete AnalysesIt is autumn; not without But within me is the cold. Youth and spring are all about; It is I that have grown old. Birds are darting through the air, Singing, building without rest; Life is stirring everywhere, Save within my lonely breast. There is silence: the dead leaves Fall and rustle and are still; Beats no flail upon the sheaves, Comes no murmur from the mill.
Feel free to be first to leave comment.