A Calendar Of Sonnets - November

By Helen Hunt Jackson

Sonnet
    This is the treacherous month when autumn days     With summer's voice come bearing summer's gifts.     Beguiled, the pale down-trodden aster lifts     Her head and blooms again. The soft, warm haze     Makes moist once more the sere and dusty ways,     And, creeping through where dead leaves lie in drifts,     The violet returns. Snow noiseless sifts     Ere night, an icy shroud, which morning's rays     Will idly shine upon and slowly melt,     Too late to bid the violet live again.     The treachery, at last, too late, is plain;     Bare are the places where the sweet flowers dwelt.     What joy sufficient hath November felt?     What profit from the violet's day of pain?

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Poem Details

Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain
Analysis & Notes:
In this poignant poem, the speaker masterfully evokes the bittersweet essence of autumn, where the warmth of summer lingers, only to be cruelly extinguished by the cold, dark months of November. The poem's speaker notes the treacherous nature of this season, where life and death are inextricably intertwined. As the aster blooms again, its beauty is short-lived, and the violet, a symbol of hope, is too late to be saved by the fleeting warmth of the sun. The poem's final lines, Bare are the places where the sweet flowers dwelt / What joy sufficient hath November felt? convey a sense of desolation and despair, leaving the reader with a profound observation: that autumn's beauty is a cruel mockery of the fleeting nature of life.

Understanding the Sonnet

The sonnet is one of the most enduring and celebrated forms of poetry, known for its strict structure and profound themes. With a history spanning centuries, sonnets have been used to explore love, beauty, politics, and mortality, all within the confines of just 14 lines.

Sonnets are characterized by their precise form and rhyme scheme, which vary depending on the type of sonnet. Here’s a closer look:

  • Shakespearean (English) Sonnet: Composed of three quatrains followed by a final couplet, with a rhyme scheme of ABABCDCDEFEFGG. This form often builds a complex argument or narrative, culminating in a powerful closing statement.
  • Petrarchan (Italian) Sonnet: Divided into an octave (eight lines) and a sestet (six lines), with a typical rhyme scheme of ABBAABBA for the octave, followed by various patterns in the sestet such as CDECDE or CDCDCD. The octave usually presents a problem, with the sestet providing a resolution.
  • Meter: Sonnets are traditionally written in iambic pentameter, which gives the poem a rhythmic and melodic quality that enhances its emotional impact.

The sonnet’s enduring appeal lies in its ability to condense complex emotions and ideas into a small but potent package, making it a favorite form for poets seeking to explore profound themes with precision and elegance.