September Day
Pont De Neuilly

The Seine flows out of the mist
and into the mist again;
The trees lean over the water,
The small leaves fall like rain.

The leaves fall patiently,
Nothing remembers or grieves;
The river takes to the sea
The yellow drift of the leaves.

Milky and cold is the air,
The leaves float with the stream,
The river comes out of a sleep
And goes away in a dream.

Sara Teasdale (1884 – 1933)

It is autumn in Australia, so I have chosen this autumn poem from the northern hemisphere. Poetry rapport is more likely if the images portrayed by words can generate mind images in the reader by association. Mists do occur in Canberra typically in June and of course close to water. I remember one year when we had a week of dull skies and frequent mists settling around Lake Burley Griffin. An unusual week for the sun was like an old, defaced coin giving little value to the day. I must say that as I type this we are having wonderful full blue skies and a bounty of colours from the abundance of deciduous trees planted around the Capital, including many oak trees planted from the time Canberra was first established.

Sara Teasdale’s work, an American poet, has been characterized by its simplicity and clarity, and her use of classical forms.  She was very adept at describing the natural scene in this fashion.  Presumably, as a visitor she had time to watch the early morning Seine at Pont De Neuilly as it flowed out of the mist before disappearing again.

In the second stanza we can envisage a still morning with the leaves taking their time to fall to the water as she watches. She indirectly personifies the leaves to be without thought living in the moment as nature happens. This contrasts with the way people spend time reflecting and regretting, fogging their appreciation. In this regard, The Orange Tree poem by John Shaw Neilsen comes to mind The Orange Tree – John Shaw Neilsen – Analysis | my word in your ear.

In the last stanza the river is born in the morning and dies in the morning, so to speak. Again, we can relate to human existence. Her poetry is known to flow a deeper meaning; and poets are conditioned to look below the surface in metaphorical fashion.

For those in the Northern Hemisphere, enjoy the approach to summer. I hope some sun filled days start to engender activity.

Sara Teasdale on Wikipedia