Author: John Frederick Freeman

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    Winter is fallen
    On the wretched grass,
    Dark winds have stolen
    All the colour that was.
    No leaf shivers:
    The bare boughs bend and creak as the wind moans by
    Fled is the fitful gleam of brightness
    From the stooping sky.

    A robin scatters
    Like bright rain his song,
    Of merry matters
    The sparrows gossip long.
    Snow in the sky
    Lingers, soon to cover the world with white,
    And hush the slender enchanting music
    And chill the delight.

    But snow new fallen
    On the stiffened grass
    Gives back beauty stolen
    By the winds as they pass:--
    Turns the climbing hedge
    Into a gleaming ladder of frozen light:
    And hark, in the cold enchanted silence
    A cry of delight!

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Type of Poem: Lyric Poem

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: This poem is a vivid depiction of the transition from autumn to winter, exploring the melancholic beauty of a world in the throes of change. Its structure is composed of three stanzas, each offering a different perspective on the shifting season. The poem's tone, initially somber, evolves to a sense of wonder and enchantment, mirroring the transformation of the landscape itself.

In the first stanza, the poem paints a bleak picture of winter's arrival, using imagery of colour loss and desolation. The absence of shivering leaves and the moaning winds evoke a sense of death and silence. The second stanza introduces a contrast, with lively robins and sparrows bringing a spark of life and vibrance. The imminent snowfall, though chilling, is also depicted as a hush to the "slender enchanting music," suggesting the quiet beauty of a snow-covered landscape. The final stanza concludes with a sense of awe and delight, as the "stolen" beauty is returned by the snowfall, transforming the hedge into a "ladder of frozen light."

The use of personification, particularly in the wind's theft of colour and the snow's restoration of beauty, is a key literary device that adds to the poem's depth. The poet uses these elements to encapsulate the harsh, yet enchanting allure of winter, demonstrating the cyclical nature of life and the enduring resilience of beauty, even in the harshest conditions.