Classic Poems to Read This Autumn
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There is something poetic about autumn. The summer heat becomes a crisp breeze, leaving tiny goosebumps on our skin. The once lively green leaves on trees turn shades of orange and brown, forming piles on our lawns. And the days become shorter, making our beds appear 10x cozier than they did in the summer.
Autumn calls for curling up with a good read—especially poetry. There’s no reason such a poetic season shouldn't be spent reading actual poetry. Plus, we know you’ve already watched Gilmore Girls and American Horror Story a thousand times, it’s time to switch things up.
If you’re looking to harvest all the fall vibes, here are seven poems to read this season.
“Autumn” by Rainer Maria Rilke
The leaves fall, fall as from far,
Like distant gardens withered in the heavens;
They fall with slow and lingering descent.
And in the nights the heavy Earth, too, falls
From out the stars into the solitude.
Thus all doth fall. This hand of mine must fall
And lo! the other one:—it is the law.
But there is One who holds this falling
Infinitely softly in His hands.
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“November Night” by Adelaide Crapsey
Listen…
With faint dry sound,
Like steps of passing ghosts,
The leaves, frost-crisp’d, break from the trees
And fall.
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“Sonnet 73” by William Shakespeare
That time of year again thou mayst in me behold
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,
Bare ruin’d choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.
In me thou see’st the twilight of such day
As after sunset fadeth in the west,
Which by and by black night doth take away,
Death’s second self, that seals up in all rest.
In me thou see’st the glowing of such fire
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,
As the death-bed whereon it must expire,
Consum’d with that which it was nourish’d by.
This thou percieve’st, which makes thy love more strong,
To love that well which thou must leave ere long.
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“Halloween Party” by Kenn Nesbitt
We’re having a Halloween party at school.
I’m dressed up like Dracula, Man, I look cool!
I dyed my hair black, and I cut off my bangs.
I’m wearing a cape and some fake plastic fangs.
I put on some makeup to paint my face white,
like creatures that only come out in the night.
My fingernails, too, are all pointed and red.
I look like I’m recently back from the dead.
My mom drops me off, and I run into school
and suddenly feel like the worlds biggest fool.
The other kids stare at me like I’m some kind of freak—
the Halloween party is not till next week.
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Fall, Leaves, Fall by Emily Brontë
Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;
Lenghten night and shorten day;
Every leaf speaks bliss to me
Fluttering from the autumn tree.
I shall smile when wreaths of snow
Blossom where the rose should grow;
I shall sing when night’s decay
Ushers in the drearier day.
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“Autumn Fires” by Robert Louis Stevenson
In the other gardens
And all up in the vale,
From the autumn bonfires
See the smoke trail!
Pleasant summer over,
And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
The grey smoke towers.
Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright and all!
Flowers in the summer,
Fires in the fall!
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“Nothing gold can stay” by Robert Frost
Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
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No matter if you’re in a romantic, spooky, or somber mood, there is bound to be a poem to fulfill all your needs this autumn. We hope you enjoy all of these selections, and maybe feel a bit inspired to find some other poems.
Which fall poem was your favorite? Leave a comment below.