Monday, October 1, 2012

October's Bright Blue Weather -- A Poem


Each year when October arrives I am reminded of this poem, which I committed to memory in grade school.

Today – the first day of October – does not conform to the sentiments expressed here (rain and possible storms are predicted), but I know the rain will soon give way to the beautiful weather and the feelings generated by this poem.





October’s Bright Blue Weather
by Helen Hunt Jackson (1830-1885)


O suns and skies and clouds of June,
And flowers of June together,
Ye cannot rival for one hour
October’s bright blue weather.


When loud the bumblebee makes haste,
Belated, thriftless vagrant,
And Golden-Rod is dying fast,
And lanes with grapes are fragrant;














When Gentians roll their fringes tight
To save them for the morning,
And chestnuts fall from satin burrs
Without a sound of warning;



When on the ground red apples lie
In piles like jewels shining,
And redder still on old stone walls
Are leaves of woodbine twining;

When all the lovely wayside things
Their white-winged seeds are sowing,
And in the fields, still green and fair,
Late aftermaths are growing;







When springs run low, and on the brooks,
In idle golden freighting,
bright leaves sink noiseless in the hush
Of woods, for winter waiting;

When comrades seek sweet country haunts,
By two and two together,
And count like misers , hour by hour,
October’s bright blue weather.

O suns and skies and flowers of June,
Count all your boasts together,
Love loveth best of all the year
October’s bright blue weather.








Helen Hunt Jackson was an American poet and novelist. She was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, where her father was a professor in Amherst College, but she spent much of her life in  California.




Hope your October will be lovely!

9 comments:

  1. Hello Sanda

    A beautiful poem and such great images too.

    Just lovely

    Helenxx

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  2. Thank you Helen. This little poem is so special to me. And I do love October so much. I would imagine you are beginning to see serious leaf color in your area by now?

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  3. Beautiful poem and I enjoyed the pictures you used to illustrate it. Don't know that I have ever seen Gentian growing. I always think of it in terms of paint, gentian blue.

    Darla

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  4. What a different October you have over there. Sigh. The blue skies, the flowers..
    Thank you for this lovely post, the poem, the pictures.

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    1. And the best is yet to come, as our leaves aren't full of color just yet. We normally have warmish weather the entire month, at least in the daytime. Sometimes the nights get very cool and we usually have a first frost by the end of the month. Love October!

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  5. Beautiful! Let's hope for those blue skies today - hope yesterday is not an indication of how the month will go even though we really needed the rain.
    Good job Sis!

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    1. We didn't quite make it today; hope for tomorrow. Needed the rain but I'm so ready for sunshine again. Thanks!

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  6. October is dismal,thick grey clouds pouring HARD with rain all day,forecast more to come!!

    Your photos really cheered me up,no sign of conkers yet.did the boys have conker fights in your part of the world?

    The poem really captures the true feel of October.

    May your October be filled with many good things.ida

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    Replies
    1. Wishing sunshine and a dry Wednesday for you. I am not familiar with the conkers you mentioned. I looked it up and found a picture. It looks like what we call "buckeyes," but the write-up said it's a horse chestnut. Have never heard of that game, but read that it is played in the New England states. I have learned something new!

      And wishing you a great October as well, Ida!

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