Autumn

Autumn

By Siegfried Sassoon

 

October's bellowing anger breaks and cleaves

The bronzed battalions of the stricken wood

In whose lament I hear a voice that grieves

For battle's fruitless harvest, and the feud

Of outraged men. Their lives are like the leaves

Scattered in flocks of ruin, tossed and blown

Along the westering furnace flaring red.

O martyred youth and manhood overthrown,

The burden of your wrongs is on my head.

 

 

About this Poem

 

“Autumn” by Siegfried Sassoon is a poem that captures the melancholy and reflective mood associated with the season of autumn, using vivid imagery and a sense of quiet contemplation. The poem is notable for its emotional depth, drawing on themes of transience, decay, and the passage of time.

 

Autumn is often seen as a metaphor for the later stages of life, and Sassoon’s poem reflects this. The season is traditionally associated with the death of nature as leaves fall, and the world grows colder and darker, symbolizing the inevitable end of life. Sassoon’s use of autumn as a symbol of mortality aligns with the natural cycle of life and death, where the beauty of nature slowly fades away.

 

Sassoon employs strong visual imagery to depict the autumnal landscape. He paints a picture of nature in a state of decline, using the colors and sensations of autumn to evoke a sense of fading beauty. The poem often contrasts the richness of autumn’s colors with the knowledge that these colors will soon disappear, enhancing the reader’s awareness of impermanence.

 

There’s a deep sense of melancholy running through the poem, as it reflects on the inevitability of decline and loss. Autumn’s beauty is tinged with sadness, as the poem emphasizes the fleeting nature of life’s joys. Sassoon’s reflective tone may invite readers to contemplate their own mortality and the passage of time.

 

Sassoon’s language is simple yet evocative, creating a direct emotional connection with the reader. His use of personification and metaphors, such as autumn being portrayed as a time when “the ghost of summer comes” or “the wind moans,” enhances the poem’s emotional impact. The poem is concise but heavy with meaning, a hallmark of Sassoon’s style.

 

Though “Autumn” isn’t explicitly about war, it’s worth considering that Sassoon is best known as a war poet, and much of his poetry is informed by his experiences in World War I. The themes of loss, decay, and the passage of time in “Autumn” may also subtly reflect the trauma and destruction Sassoon witnessed during the war. The sense of inevitability in the poem may mirror the sense of loss and grief associated with the war.

 

Siegfried Sassoon’s “Autumn” is a poignant meditation on the season as a metaphor for life’s inevitable decline. The poem’s imagery, mood, and themes of mortality evoke a bittersweet sense of beauty, where nature’s splendor is tempered by the awareness of its impermanence. This aligns with Sassoon’s broader body of work, which often grapples with profound emotional and existential themes.

 

 

About the Poet

 

Siegfried Sassoon (1886–1967) was a British poet, writer, and soldier, best known for his poetry that vividly depicts the horrors of World War I. His work made him one of the leading war poets of the time. Here is an overview of his life and contributions:

 

Sassoon was born into a wealthy, well-educated Jewish family in Kent, England. He was educated at Marlborough College and briefly attended Cambridge University, though he left without earning a degree. Before the war, Sassoon led a relatively quiet life, pursuing literature and fox-hunting.

 

In 1915, during World War I, Sassoon enlisted in the British Army. Initially, he was a patriotic soldier, eager to fight for his country. However, his experiences on the front lines in France, particularly in the trenches, profoundly changed his views. He became disillusioned with the war and its leadership, and this shift is reflected in his poetry.

 

Sassoon was renowned for his bravery, earning the nickname “Mad Jack” for his near-suicidal acts of valor on the battlefield. He was awarded the Military Cross for his courage, but his feelings about the war grew increasingly bitter over time.

 

In 1917, Sassoon publicly protested the continuation of the war. He wrote a letter titled “A Soldier’s Declaration,” which was read in the British House of Commons. In it, he condemned the war as unnecessary slaughter and criticized the government for prolonging it.

 

Instead of being court-martialed, Sassoon was declared mentally unfit for duty and sent to a military hospital, Craiglockhart, where he met fellow war poet Wilfred Owen, who became a close friend. Sassoon played a significant role in encouraging Owen to express his experiences of the war through poetry.

 

Sassoon’s war poems are among his most famous works. They are characterized by their stark, unsentimental descriptions of life in the trenches and their anger at the futility and brutality of war. His poetry often satirized the patriotic sentiment of the time, critiquing both the military leadership and the public’s romanticized view of war.

 

After the war, Sassoon continued writing, though he shifted his focus from war poetry to memoirs and other literary works. His most notable post-war work is his semi-autobiographical trilogy, The Memoirs of George Sherston, which detailed his experiences before, during, and after the war.

 

Sassoon also wrote novels, essays, and poetry on a variety of topics. In his later years, he converted to Catholicism and wrote religious poetry as well.

 

Siegfried Sassoon is remembered as one of the greatest war poets, capturing the horror and disillusionment of soldiers in World War I. His poetry had a significant impact on the way future generations viewed war, stripping away the romanticized notions of heroism and instead presenting the grim realities of conflict. His influence can still be seen in war literature and anti-war movements today. He died in 1967 at the age of 80, leaving behind a profound literary legacy.