October by Robert Frost

Posted byRebecca BuddPosted inI’m Reading Poetry, Robert FrostTags:, , , ,

October by Robert Frost

November has made its way through time with a speed that leaves me breathless, even a little bewildered. My sister Sarah, has a theory based on quantum physics that time speeds up as we age. I’m thinking that she has insight into this matter, considering that we are nearing the end of 2020 and are about to usher in 2021.

October by Robert Frost was to have been published the first part of November since, as the title clearly states that the poem is all about October. So without further ado, please join Robert Frost and me in reciting October. His words resonate: “Begin the hours of this day slow. Make the day seem to us less brief.”

O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
Tomorrow’s wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.
The crows above the forest call;
Tomorrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow.
Make the day seem to us less brief.
Hearts not averse to being beguiled,
Beguile us in the way you know.
Release one leaf at break of day;
At noon release another leaf;
One from our trees, one far away.
Retard the sun with gentle mist;
Enchant the land with amethyst.
Slow, slow!
For the grapes’ sake, if they were all,
Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,
Whose clustered fruit must else be lost—
For the grapes’ sake along the wall.

Published by Rebecca Budd

Blogger, Visual Storyteller, Podcaster, Traveler and Life-long Learner

28 thoughts on “October by Robert Frost”

  1. Hey from the equator!
    I’ve enjoyed fifteen or so minutes perusing your many sites – all a joy, and there was a new one (for me) Chasing Art Daily. Wahoo!

    I was searching for an email address to send you a little PDF I am sharing with like-minded people… if you ‘d like, you can send it to tzeebra – at – yahoo.com instead of placing it in this comment field.

    Feliz Navidad!

    Lisa

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Dina! You are a marvelous support and encouragement. I have come late to poetry and I ask myself: why didn’t I think about reading poems until this stage of my life? Perhaps, I was not ready for poetry until now. Sending many hugs!!!

      Liked by 1 person

    1. I am delighted that you enjoyed the poem. It was a lovely autumn evening with just a slight chill in the breeze. Autumn has always been my favourite season and Robert Frost has a wonderful way of expressing the emotions that come out during this time.

      Liked by 3 people

  5. What a beautiful poem and such a lovely recitation, Rebecca. I love unhurried autumn, with the leaves falling here and there, not all at once brought down by cold, rainy winds. I love the sight of concord grapes ripened by frost and split, releasing their fragrance. The sound of crows overhead is perfect. I think my favorite lines are:

    Retard the sun with gentle mist;
    Enchant the land with amethyst.

    It’s as if the purple of the grapes is reflecting lightly off the mist that retards the sun.

    Thank you for reminding me of his thematic influences on my own meager writing. Nature and the passing of time are universal. Robert Frost always chose such perfect words, rhythm and rhyme. He’s an exemplar of traditional poetic style.

    Your autumn seems to have been on the slow, slow side, for the grapes’ sake 🙂 At our Thanksgiving table there was a conversation about Concord grapes, whose several vines have provided my family with jelly and juice from our own gardens over the years. Fond memories indeed. Thank you for this serendipity 🙂

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Oh Mary Jo, if only I had you for my poetry teacher in school. You have a marvelous way of integrating poetry, memory and present experience. When I explored Robert Frost’s biography, his poems became more meaningful to me. I believe that poetry was a meditation for him and a place where he found solace. His poignant words capture the essence of autumn for me: “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.”

      Liked by 3 people

    2. It’s only in recent years that I’ve been able to appreciate (or even read) Robert Frost’s poetry. I had a terrible experience in the fifth grade with being forced to memorize “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” and recite it in front of the class.

      Liked by 4 people

      4. I was traumatized by the Gettysburg address by the same teacher. For years, long after my brother and I were adults, my mother felt guilty about subjecting the two of us to that school system.

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      5. I can relate. 😦 I also had severe stage fright when giving “presentations” in elementary school. At one point back then I was into learning about U.S. presidents, and when my teacher found out that I had memorized all of them, the years they were in office, etc., she made me recite all that to various classes and grades in the school. So embarrassing. (I didn’t know at the time that a number of those presidents were jerks… 🙂 )

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  6. October might be the most evocative month of the year — the brilliant colors of the dying leaves, the getting-colder nights… Robert Frost’s poem and your excellent reciting of it do that month justice, Rebecca.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Thank you for your heartwarming comments, Dave. Autumn has always been my favouite season because it ties memories and reflections. While Spring has always been about a “rebirth” I found that Autumn was all about exploration and discovery. It was “back to school” time, harvest and thanksgiving, which signifies the joy of learning and a coming together of community. And even better, the coming winter enticed me with its promise of long nights of reading and hot chocolate with marshmallows and the scent of exotic teas. We always had Red Rose tea which was originally a Canadian company. There was a commercial that said, “Red Rose tea – available only in Canada. What a pity.” Check it out!!! https://youtu.be/KAtDXOnmqiM

      Liked by 3 people

      2. Red Rose Tea is a beverage company established by Theodore Harding Estabrooks in 1894 in Saint John, New Brunswick. The phrase – Only in Canada, you say? Pity – was changed, as the brand expanded to “Red Rose Tea is Good Tea.” and “A cup’ll do you good.” What as special about Red Rose was the little animal figurines that came in the boxes (wish I had kept my collection). They also had Red Rose collectible tea cards were issued in annual series of 48 cards each, from 1959 through 1975. I had a few of these cards too.

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