An Autumn Day: Stanza 3

“An Autumn Day: Stanza 3”

Content and Theme

• This stanza introduces the sense of ageing and mortality.
• The trees that “showed dry and shrivelled in the wind” serve as a harsh reminder of the inexorable passage of time.
• The cascade of leaves represents life cycles and the ephemeral nature of existence.

Form and Structure

• MacLean continues with the four-line quatrain and regular rhyme scheme established in the previous stanzas.
• The imagery is concentrated and the pace quickened, reflecting the intensity of the autumnal scene.
• The stanza’s structured form is in contrast with its description of change and decay, reinforcing the poem’s central paradox.

Language and Imagery

• Vivid imagery prevails in this stanza, aiming to represent the harshness of autumn.
• MacLean uses colours such as “yellow”, “crimson” and “gold”, serving to illuminate the autumn palette but also hint at decay, death, and the passing of time.
• The wind’s destructive power is emphasised by phrases like “like a whirl of yellow and crimson,” conveying the relentlessness of natural forces.

Tone

• The tone takes a subtler, sombre turn as the poet reflects on the transience of life.
• The melancholic mood is extended through descriptions of trees being stripped bare and leaves falling.
• Despite the sombreness, there is still an underlying appreciation for beauty, even in decay.

Context

• MacLean, hailing from the Isle of Raasay, was deeply familiar with the Scottish landscape, and this had a vast observational influence on his poetry.
• His experiences of the passing seasons likely influenced this stanza as he observed the natural world around him.
• As MacLean was aging when he was writing the poems, the themes of ageing and mortality reflect his personal experience.