Author: Arthur Hugh Clough

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    When soft September brings again
    To yonder gorse its golden glow,
    And Snowdon sends its autumn rain
    To bid thy current livelier flow;
    Amid that ashen foliage light
    When scarlet beads are glistering bright,
    While alder boughs unchanged are seen
    In summer livery of green;
    When clouds before the cooler breeze
    Are flying, white and large; with these
    Returning, so may I return,
    And find thee changeless, Pont-y-wern.

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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 poignant illustration of the passage of time, seasons, and change, interwoven with the constancy of nature and the longing for return to familiar places. The poet uses the month of September and its familiar changes in the scenery as a metaphor for transience. The golden glow of gorse, the autumn rain from Snowdon, and the scarlet beads on ashen foliage all echo the theme of transition from summer's vitality to autumn's maturity.

The poem is rich in imagery, which the poet uses to create a vivid, sensory snapshot of the landscape. This imagery is not only visually striking but also conjures up a sense of the changing seasons and the passage of time. The tone of the poem is contemplative and slightly nostalgic, suggesting a longing for return and constancy amidst change.

Structurally, the poem follows a consistent rhythm and rhyme scheme, which gives it a smooth, flowing quality that mirrors the 'current' of the river Pont-y-wern. This structure, along with the recurring imagery and themes, creates a sense of cyclical continuity that underscores the poem's central message: despite the inevitable changes that come with time, there is comfort in the enduring, unchanging aspects of nature—like the alder boughs' 'summer livery of green' and the 'changeless' river.